Background
b. Mexico City, 1995
Born in Mexico City, El Distrito Federal, CDMX, and raised in Louisville, KY, Jesenia Avila-Ugalde is a Mexican immigrant artist and designer based in Louisville, Kentucky. Her artwork focuses on reimagining ways to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage in the south. Her positive, future-focused work is a process, journey, and bricolage of traditional, unconventional, and new mediums.
Her graphic design features detail-oriented line work and intentional colors rooted in the client's mission and values. Jesenia prioritizes the intentional representation of diversity and inclusion in her illustrations and photography, creating designs that are both visually compelling and culturally resonant.
Outside of work Jesenia enjoys family time at the lake, hiking, cooking and trying new foods, and traveling with friends and family.
Education
2024
Kentucky College of Art + Design
In 2019, Avila was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to attend the Kentucky College of Art + Design, where she recently completed her BFA in Fine Arts and was awarded the Academic Performance Award. During her time at KYCAD she was also selected as one of six panelists to present her senior thesis "El Pueblitote" at the College Art Association's National Conference in Chicago, as part of the juried panel "Highlights in Undergraduate Art and Design Research," chaired by Emma Wingfield from The University for the Arts London.
2019
Jefferson Community & Tech. College
Avila graduated with high distinction from Jefferson Community and Technical College, earning a degree in Applied Science and certificates in Advertising Design and Commercial Photography. She has been recognized by the American Advertising Federation with multiple awards for both her photography and graphic design, including Gold and Silver ADDYs, as well as Judges' Choice Awards.