Rebeca Mendez

Rebeca Mendez is an accomplished artist, designer, and academic currently serving as the Department Chair and Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, within the Design|Media Arts program. Mendez founded the Counterforce Lab, which focuses on research and fieldwork in art, design, and environmental studies, emphasizing critical perspectives on public identities and landscapes. As the principal owner of Rebeca Mendez Studio since 1992, Mendez has built a multidisciplinary design practice that caters to art, architecture, and cultural clients, with expertise in brand strategy, immersive spaces, experience design, and book design. Previous experience includes roles as a Senior Partner and Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather, an Art Director at Wieden + Kennedy, and serving on the Board of Advisors for AIGA, Los Angeles. Mendez holds an MFA in Art and Media Design and a BFA in Communication Design from ArtCenter College of Design, alongside early education focused on Physics and Mathematics.