COCO x Sancho
Could you tell us more about yourself and your journey with creating?
My name is Sancho, and I’m an artist living and working in Amsterdam. Interestingly, I didn’t come to art right away. My story is a bit unconventional: I studied business in the UK, then studies and worked in China, immersing myself in a completely different culture and learning the language. At that time, my life was far from creativity - I was involved in business and design, and to be honest, I didn’t even know I could draw.
That all changed about eight years ago when my wife and I were sitting in a café, and I started drawing funny sketches of her on napkins just for fun. She saw them and instantly fell in love with the drawings! She then insisted that I continue drawing every day. Her support was crucial - I bought a sketchbook, but I still often found myself drawing on napkins in cafés or even on trays at IKEA. There was something magical about those spontaneous, creative experiments.
These small steps gradually led me to start creating full-fledged works of art. Now, I have my own characters that I believe come to me straight from childhood. It’s like a whole universe where they live, and new inhabitants keep appearing all the time. These images are very personal - sometimes funny, sometimes strange, but always alive. Each new drawing is another step in building my own universe.
Where do you usually work?
Oh, I absolutely love working from home! There's nothing better than avoiding the commute and diving straight into creativity. Plus, my family fully supports me in this, which is a huge help.
My wife is also an artist and photographer, so our life pretty much revolves around work. We’ve turned our home into a creative lab.
Of course, you won’t always find perfectly arranged shelves or cozy décor here - we’ve moved a lot, and the setup has been more spontaneous. But what you will always find is great lighting, tons of paper, canvases, paints, props, and, most importantly, plenty of space to create!
Where do you feel the most inspired?
That's an easy question! I find inspiration during my daily walks with my wife and our dog or while riding my bike. It’s a wonderful time for reflection, discussing new projects, or just talking about life. Nature, good company, and meaningful conversations all energise me, boost my confidence, and undoubtedly inspire me to create something new.
It’s like I’m relaxing and working in my head at the same time! I especially love evening walks - that’s when I feel an extra surge of inspiration!
Could you tell us more about the process of creating your work?
I work with a variety of materials and love to experiment. Although, to be honest, I don’t always get the chance to share everything with my audience. I use acrylic, oil, wood, and papier-mâché sculptures - they’re all part of my creative process. But most often, I work on my iPad, and there’s a reason for that: speed is incredibly important to me. The magic of a modern artist lies in how quickly you can turn an idea into a finished piece.
I have so many ideas and characters, and sometimes it’s impossible to hold them in my head for too long or spend too much time creating them on paper. Though I must admit, working with acrylic can also captivate me - it’s a meditative process that clears my mind and allows me to fully immerse myself in the act of creation.
How did you find the collaboration with COCO?
It’s been an amazing experience! I’m incredibly grateful that my art was chosen for such a cool product. Designing for products is a challenging task for an artist because you need to fit your artwork into specific constraints. But that’s what makes the process so exciting.
I’ve found that my design experience has made this work much easier. Understanding how my art needs to interact with the product helps a lot. It’s not just about creating art; it’s about finding a balance between creativity and functionality.
What is the inspiration behind these works?
My inspiration comes from the very roots of the process. It’s drawn from Colombia - from the mountains, the chocolate production, and everything that leads up to our final product. Imagine the number of people involved at every stage of production to bring us that amazing chocolate bar. Naturally, you want the packaging to reflect all the hard work and love put into it.
Nature plays a huge role in my inspiration - the warm sun, clean air, majestic mountains. It’s incredibly inspiring. In my packaging design, I’ve depicted numerous hands to symbolise the effort, labour, love, and care that went into creating the product. There are also references to the natural beauty of the region, presented through a modern aesthetic.
Which is your favourite product from the COCO X Sancho collaboration?
Oh, that’s a tough choice because, for me, they are inseparable. It’s one story, united by a love for people, for chocolate, and for fruitful collaboration. It all started with the chocolate production and continued with our joint work on the packaging. We created something truly special together.
Every element, from the chocolate itself to the packaging design, holds equal significance for me and tells a part of the shared story.
Which past COCO artist collaboration do you like the most?
I have to say, the collaboration with Markus Walters really stood out to me! His characters were seamlessly integrated into the packaging, and they brought so much personality to the design. They’re not just funny and charming, but they practically shout, "Let’s take a break and enjoy a delicious treat!
