"Like Snow White on Acid" is how the work of artists' collective FriendsWithYou has been aptly described. Sam Borkson and Arturo Sandavall may be based in Miami, but the strange worlds they create are way out there in another dimension. Their modest mission is to spread an intelligent look at the world with a vision of magical, whimsical, childlike magic and to spread truths and myths to the world while bringing true art back into the lives of everybody who experience their work in all its forms.
When not otherwise occupied in creating their "Malfis" -- a bizarre take on the cuddly toy concept -- they are to be found making videos, interactive installations, paintings and animation films for the likes of Nikelab, Sony, Volkswagen and MTV. This book presents the full scope of their projects and a wide range of scribbles, designs, artworks, characters and kids' toys that have been created for their first museum exhibition at the MOCA Miami, Florida, during Art Basel Miami Beach.
Fusing art, design, illustration and toy making, FriendsWithYou is a leading example of a multi-disciplinary studio combining classical disciplines with sensational success. They are masters not only of character creation but beyond the characters themselves and into the worlds that they inhabit. Their universes are so elaborately designed that they entrance adults and children alike.
