SINCE 2020.
essence
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In 2020, Bryan and Mary Jo were architecture students. Their lives were shaped by design, but also by their animals—especially Bella, a dog they had adopted who soon became an essential part of their story.
One day, Mary Jo wanted to make Bryan a gift.
She took a photograph of Bella and transformed it into a piece of art, illustrating her by hand and building a black-and-white composition on a simple sheet of paper.
She wasn't thinking about creating a brand.
She was creating something for them.
But when Bryan received the gift, Mary Jo realized there was something more to the piece: a way to transform a photograph into something that could remain.
And so, Mr. Beni was born.
First Piece
The name was born from them, too.
Bella had been rescued when she was only a few weeks old. Nino came into their lives after being hit by a car, injured and frightened, eventually finding a home with them.
Two different stories that found their way to the same home.
From Bella and Nino came the name Mr. Beni.
And, in a way, so did the idea that still defines the brand today: that behind every animal is a story worth remembering.
First Packaging
Learning Through Making.
The early years were small.
Mr. Beni began on Instagram, without a website, without a team, and without knowing exactly what it might become.
The first pieces looked very different from what they are today.
Then came the pandemic, and the project came to a halt.
When they returned, they had to begin again, almost from the ground up.
It was no longer simply about creating illustrations of pets. Over time, they began to understand what made a piece feel truly personal.
In 2022, an unexpected circumstance changed the way the pieces were presented.
The frames they had started with were no longer available.
They turned to canvas instead.
The change seemed simple, but it ultimately marked the beginning of a new chapter.
Canvas allowed the illustrations to have greater presence, new proportions, and a different relationship with the spaces they would inhabit.
What began as a solution eventually became part of the identity of Mr. Beni.
Beyond Costa Rica
In early 2023, something changed.
The first Mr. Beni pieces began making their way beyond Costa Rica.
They first found new homes elsewhere in the Americas. Then, they reached Europe.
Spain, Chile, and Germany were among the first destinations.
It was a simple step on the surface, but it meant something more.
What had begun with two architecture students, a photograph of Bella, and a handmade illustration was now finding a place in homes they had never known.
Mr. Beni was beginning to cross borders.
And with each piece, a small part of that story traveled with it.
But Pinto Changed Everything
But it was Pinto who ultimately changed the way they understood their own work.
Pinto had been by Bryan’s side for six years. He had come into their lives after being rescued and, over time, became one of those animals whose presence stays with you for a lifetime.
When Pinto passed away, Bryan wasn't ready to turn him into an illustration. The photographs were simply too difficult to look at.
A year later, Mary Jo decided to create one. The piece was a birthday gift.
When Bryan saw the Mr. Beni box, he immediately knew what was inside. He didn't need to open it to be moved.
And with Pinto came a different understanding of what they had been creating. Until then, they had understood their work from the perspective of the designer.
Pinto allowed them to understand it from the other side—as something deeply personal to the person receiving it.
They can remember those who are no longer here.
They can celebrate those who still are.
They honor those who deserve to be remembered.
Since that first piece created for Bella, Mr. Beni has grown far beyond its beginnings.
Thousands of pets have passed through the studio.
Thousands of stories have arrived.
Some speak of companions who have been by their families’ side for many years. Others speak of goodbyes. Some simply celebrate the joy of having them close.
Many families have returned.
Not simply to create another piece, but to continue a story that had already begun.
Perhaps that is the most meaningful change.
Mr. Beni began by creating portraits.
Over time, they came to understand that the portraits were about something more.
A way to preserve what a pet means.
The brand continues to evolve—with new materials, new ways of creating, and new ways of bringing each piece into a home.
But the intention remains the same. The same intention behind that first illustration of Bella.
A pet may only be with us for a chapter of our lives.
But what they leave behind can remain for many lifetimes.
Mr. Beni
Made to remember.
