Meet Jessica DoSouto | Spatial Designer & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica DoSouto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, why did you pursue a creative career?
When I was in elementary school, my bedtime was 8:30 p.m. On many nights, I’d crawl into bed and wait for my dad to check on my brother and me. Once he did, I’d quietly slip out of bed and, like something out of a movie, stuff my pillows under the blanket to make it look like I was asleep. Then I’d grab my sketchbook and pencil, settle behind my cracked bedroom door, onto my pink, high-pile carpet, and use the sliver of hallway light to draw. Back then, it was mostly people, clothes, shoes, and jewelry.

In many ways, that’s why I chose a creative career. Even as a kid, I was willing to risk a scolding to keep creating.

Nothing else gives me the same sense of joy, curiosity, calm, or way of connecting with the world, and myself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a Boston-born, Los Angeles–based spatial designer and multidisciplinary artist working across various scales and mediums.

I received my Masters of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), where I was honored with the Graduate Thesis Merit Prize for my project “Homespace”, as well as a Bachelors of Arts in Art and Communication from the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB).

As a spatial designer, I 3D model, draft, render, animate, and build physical models, often in collaboration with others, to imagine, visualize, and communicate ideas about space, place, and experience – layering stories, materials, layouts, and circulation. In parallel, I paint, draw and collage using oil paint, watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, graphite, and found materials. I explore the dichotomies and intersections of the human experience, the built environment, and everyday life, focusing on themes of identity and belonging.

As a first-generation American, first-generation college graduate, and woman of color, I’m incredibly grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had – opportunities that those before me didn’t necessarily have, but made possible for me and others. The journey hasn’t been easy: months of no days off while doing my undergraduate program and working, adjusting to the steep learning curve of graduate school, and finding my footing as a freelance designer. But I’ve learned to acknowledge the temporality of the challenges, to take a few steps back from the painting (figuratively, but also literally), and to find the fun in the process. In addition, asking for help, staying curious, and a good cry every now and then, have helped me overcome the challenges.

What excites me is that, though it’s been a ten-year journey to get here, it is just the beginning! I’m excited for the creative endeavors ahead, and to the collaborators / friends that I have yet to meet.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There is truly no shortage of activities and good food in LA!

The itinerary would include:

– hitting up a museum or garden – the Huntington Gardens, Descano Gardens, the Broad, the Getty, African American Museum, LACMA (especially if it’s music in the park season), or Griffith Observatory (particularly the planetarium).

– a beach visit for lounging on the beach or biking / roller skating along the beach

– hiking (Cherry Canyon, Millard Falls, and Switzer Falls to name some favorites)

– speakeasy / dancing at No Vacancy, La Descarga, Resident, or Good Times at Davey Wayne’s

– live music or a comedy show at Cheerio Collective

– grabbing a bite from Kumquat, Villa’s Tacos, Yunomi, Sushi Enya, Hiho, Tatsu Ramen or Bavel (or a late night bite from Ave 26 Tacos)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To say it takes a village is an understatement!

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have so many amazing people along my journey — from my parents, who always reminded me that I could do anything I set my mind to, to my family and friends, who’ve offered their ears, hands, and laughter along the way, and to professors who generously shared their energy, craft, and knowledge.

I especially want to recognize my two mentors, Matthew Au and Natou Fall, whom I met through SCI-Arc’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program led by Zahida Sherman. Both are phenomenal educators with successful practices outside of the institution, and they selflessly shared their time, insight, and experiences, while also creating space for me, and others, to express our challenges (especially during the first year), to celebrate our successes, and to learn from each other. I’m deeply grateful for their mentorship and hope to offer the same support to others in the future.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessdosouto.design/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-dosouto-85ab13170

Image Credits
Zachary Horine