Rooted in Story, Painted by Hand
I’m Jessica Robles, a Peruvian graphic designer flourishing amid Vermont’s green mountains. As a Latina immigrant and solo mother, I weave memory, mothering, and migration into each hand-lettered piece. From my studio, sumakkawsay.work, I sculpt visual poems—bold strokes that tell stories of resilience, ritual, and the quiet beauty of everyday life.
MFA in Graphic Design '23
Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier VT
BFA in Graphic Design ‘03
Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia PA
m(other)ing, 2025
From Silence to Script: Lettering as Resistance and Recovery , 2023
Lettering with a Second Life, 2025
RE/, 2023
Magenta, 2022
Voids of Vermont, 2022
Brook Street Mural, 2024
Exhibitions
M(other)ing
Perspective Gallery at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
March 18 to May 16, 2025
by Design: 2023
Alumni Gallery at Moore College, Philadelphia, PA
June 3 to September 1, 2023
RE/
Colorado Springs College, Colorado Springs, CO
July 2023
Magenta
Sparrow Art Gallery, Middlebury, VT
January 30 to March 30, 2023
‘Voids of Vermont’ AIGA Exhibition
Karma Bird House, Burlington, VT
April 2022
WORKSHOPS
From Silence to Script: Lettering as Resistance and Recovery
Developed a two-hour workshop exploring Peruvian hand lettering as a tool for cultural expression and personal healing. Participants learned brush techniques, created original phrases, and engaged with themes of identity, decolonization, and emotional release through art.
Lettering with a Second Life
Designed a hands-on lettering workshop focused on creative reuse, where participants transformed recycled materials into unique hand-lettered artworks. Emphasized sustainable practices, visual storytelling, and expressive design using nontraditional surfaces.
Volunteer Experience
Board Member ORCA Media
Non profit organization dedicated to promote telecommunications technology to the local community.
2025 Green Mountain Film Festival Graphic Designer
Designed promotional materials, social media graphic and posters for local film festival.
PREVIOUS CLIENTS
Vermont Human Rights Commissioner
Vermont Network
Hugo's Bar & Grill
Circle VT
Red Hen Bakery
Moving Mountains Counseling
Ninny Goat & Co.