Meet Marta Zubieta, the artist behind our labels

Hands down our favourite part of Counter Culture is working on the label artworks with Marta. So we've asked her a few questions to help us peek into that wonderful mind responsible for the bold and vibrant designs on our labels. 

What inspired you to become an artist?

Art has always been a part of my life, even in its simplest forms. From a very young age, I was told that people enjoyed my drawings, and I think that planted the idea in my mind early on. I became obsessed with cartoons, spending hours watching them while doing homework, and I loved how they could turn ordinary moments into something full of life and humour. 

When I moved to Bristol, that early love for creating took on a new meaning. Struggling with anxiety and limited English skills, I turned back to drawing as a way to connect with a world where I often felt misplaced. It became more than just a childhood obsession; it was my way of communicating when words didn’t feel enough. Now, I see art as an evolution of that early passion for storytelling and self-expression—a bridge between the worlds we live in and the ones we dream of.

For those who haven’t seen your other work, could you summarise your style and inspirations?

Well I am mostly known for my vivid colors and surreal imagery. I guess it could be a mix of lysergic neon cartoons and cute millennial pink goo. I love blending influences from different worlds — 90s pop culture, sci-fi, latin folklore, psychedelia and nature to create adult worlds for forever teenagers.

How is working with Counter Culture different from your other projects?

This has been one of my longest partnerships with a great team of thinkers and makers whose ethos align a lot with mine. When we work together they’re not only commissions, they’re very collaborative so that each label becomes some sort of statement piece. I feel like my art and the brand merge in perfect symbiosis.

What’s your favourite Counter Culture piece and why?

I love them all but if I had to pick one it would be Against the Current. On the surface it has an innocent pink aesthetic, but there’s a strong message underneath of nature, the old world and human roots swimming against the technological and fast world current. I feel this is the main struggle of our nowadays society and an idea we always need to look back at to stay strong in these mad times!

Your style is so unique, do you ever find it hard to generate ideas? 

Yes I do, I am sure even the more talented artist does at some points, to help me with that I always rely on the sketchbook, to simply draw when ideas come in and to rescue them when the right moment arrives for them. You never know when an idea can work out for a specific project, when I run out of inspiration I can always look back to the sketchbook and connect with an idea I started that didn’t find its place yet, or it can help me getting my mind set to make new ones.

What are your favourite things about living in Bristol? 

I love the culture, there is always something going on, music, art, but it is approachable enough without feeling overwhelming. I love the sense of community that the city has, it is a place to brew ideas, here you are always gonna find allies to support you and to help you grow. I find it quite magical and I love it has become the place I call home.