In Two Minds

Eva and Marta may be tricky to tell apart, but not so their work – no two projects are alike. we found out how this addiction to experimentation has made the Yarza twins such hot property

- Ruth Hamilton 

Eva and Marta Yarza aren’t afraid to mix things up. On their portfolio site, off-kilter print design sits next to slick 3D work, which nestles next to type design and bigname brand campaigns. No two projects are the same, and that’s exactly how the twin sisters like it.

Born and raised in Spain, the pair relocated to London’s Whitechapel to launch their studio, Yarza Twins, in 2016. They were named as one of the 15 most exciting designers under 30 by Print magazine in 2016, and have since won a whole bunch of awards, including a coveted D&AD Pencil.

We spoke to them ahead of their talk at Us By Night about making your own opportunities, finding your place in a new country, and how it all started with an old bread factory.

How did the idea to band together and form a studio come about?

We’ve been collaborating since our early childhood, so doing projects together after we finished university became the natural next step for us. To start with, we’d create in our free time while working at a restaurant and a clothing store, and then in the evenings after getting full-time design jobs. Eventually, we started sharing our personal projects and receiving some press coverage, so when the moment came we decided to open Yarza Twins two years ago.

Your design work spans a whole range of disciplines. How do you learn new skills?

We’ve learnt so many skills out of necessity. We struggled to get an internship in London, so we tried to learn everything to see if, by taking this approach, someone would give each of us separately an opportunity. If we had an idea for a project, we learnt how to make it happen; we didn’t wait or make excuses about not having the skills.