Meet the Artist: Karla & Frida Pt. 1
La Mexicanidad Deck by the Mexican Mother & Daughter duo encompasses the traditions, values, and unique characteristics of Mexico and its people. Welcome to Flick, Karla and Frida!
Q1: Please explain the inspiration behind the deck, telling Flick players how it aims to highlight and celebrate the beauty of Mexican culture and surroundings.
We believe that Mexican culture is very extensive and beautiful. While many of us think we know a large part of it, there are always new traditions emerging that make it unique.
Our deck was inspired by many traditions that have been central to our country over the years, as well as other country features that represent us, such as flora and gastronomy (Including our extensive variety of chillies). The colours of the houses that are part of many Pueblos Mágicos in Mexico, and the papel picado bunting banners that we use in most of our festivities were also big inspirations. The life that emanates from each celebration greatly helped us focus on the art and capture all of this in our deck.
We want people to see our culture as closely as possible, in an artistic way, which is a wonder for us to share.
Q2: Please tell us more about the various elements on the suits (Hearts, Clubs, Spades, and Diamonds) that embody folklore, traditions, dance, art, cuisine etc.
Each suit tells a story and we made it our mission to honour them.
The K cards in our deck feature the iconic Mariachi, an essential representation of Mexican culture.
For the Q cards, we chose to include “María Dolls,” each one representing a state in our Mexican Republic, dressed in the typical attire from their place. We thought it would be a fantastic way to introduce them to a wider audience.
Our J cards are special. We combined a few ideas. These represent dancers from states such as Veracruz and Oxaca, and pre-Hispanic dancers carrying much older traditions from our culture.
This deck also includes traditional papel picado flags that we used for all festivities.
We couldn’t forget to mention the typical chillies used in our cuisine, essential for the Mexican dishes we know and love.
Cacti are a feature of our Mexican lands and deserts, also used in gastronomy, while some of them are left preserved because they’re so valuable to us.
And, of course, the houses. Their colours are well-known nationwide, being part of various Pueblos Mágicos, such as San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and many more.
Q3: Please tell us what it is like working together as Mother and Daughter. How do you approach working together - tell us more about the bond you share over this wonderful project.
We fit well working together. It keeps the direction of our art focused and being both involved serves as a source of motivation. We support each other, which has been beneficial for our artistic development, trying to broaden both our artistic horizons and sources of inspiration. Our styles are different and it has helped us to learn from each other: It makes our artistic careers both fun and educational.
Q4: Did you divide the project into two or tackle it all together?
We worked together all the way in this project, combining our creativity and techniques to create a beautiful deck.
Q5: Please tell us much more about the techniques and materials used to create your deck for Flick.
This deck was created exclusively with watercolours, a fairly complex technique that we keep developing with every new art piece, this deck being no exception. We carried out this project on a special paper designed for this technique, with a noticeable texture provided by the thick 250g paperweight. This can be well appreciated in the deck thanks to the great work done by Flick!
Q6: Are there any historical landmarks, traditions, or even local flora and fauna in Mexico that are your favourite?
We love cacti. So much flora from our country is beautiful but we wanted to acknowledge and showcase that the variety of cacti is particularly fascinating. When you see them in real life, you realise how beautiful they are.
Q7: How important is it to preserve and appreciate traditional art forms through modern interpretations? E.g. a relaxing and beautiful card game called Flick Solitaire!
We believe that it’s important to keep finding new ways to appreciate them and unite them into new art forms. This project reflects a big part of that, bringing them together for everyone to enjoy. That is the point of this project: To reach every corner in a beautiful way.
Q8: What future projects do you have together? Are you continuing with your mission to celebrate Mexican culture?
Yes, we are very focused on keeping our work growing and expanding our projects. Besides being artists, we’re travellers, which gives us the opportunity to share our art and culture in other parts of the world.
Q9: How did you both get into art?
Our family is full of artists, which have been a very big influence. Both of us recognised this talent from a very young age, practising drawing and various techniques. In the end, we agreed that watercolour was our signature art form. We delved into that world to create pieces of art for people to take anywhere they go.
Q10: Favourite time of year in Mexico and why?
We find November to be a beautiful time of the year, and for Mexican culture, the Día de Muertos is very significant. Families gather in a peaceful atmosphere. It’s very welcoming and emotional.