Celebrating Moments of Humanity with MassArt Alum Sabrina Dorsainvil

Positive change doesn’t have to be obvious. It can take the form of a passerby feeling seen in a public artwork. A community that’s heard by an artist. Perhaps it shows up as art that makes a tough conversation more accessible.

Dorsainvil uses both an artistic eye, and the lens of a civic designer to move through the world. When working through issues such as housing, health, race, gender, and other topics that require care, Dorsainvil has a suggestion: sketch through it.

“By allowing ourselves that creative space, we can tackle challenges that have been withstanding,” Dorsainvil said. “My work offers a chance for other people to pause and reflect about how they care for others, both at a personal level and at this larger societal level.”

From the very beginning of her public art career, Dorsainvil infused her work with community care.

In 2019, Dorsainvil threw their name in the ring for a chance to create her first public artwork. It felt like a risk; she was new to the field, redefining her relationship with color, and very much pretending to not be afraid. Seven years later, Allston I really love you  is still on view.

Created in collaboration with DEAF Inc., the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the Massachusetts State Association of the Deaf, Dorsainvil sought to center the Deaf  community.

“You’re not always of the place in which your piece is,”  Dorsainvil said. “How do you make it make sense, but also be respectful?

For this project, the answer was intentionality, care, and collaboration.

This summer, Dorsainvil is bringing those qualities to Winter Street in Downtown Crossing. Commissioned by The Triennial in partnership with the City of Boston Planning Department and Downtown Boston Alliance, Feel + Flow will be a beacon of connection.

Through a colorful and playful design, the ground mural will celebrate the liveliness that makes up Downtown Crossing’s oldest street.

After working for the city for seven years, the artist is familiar with the space. From simple shopping trips as a child, to visiting businesses during lunch breaks, to witnessing the daily exchanges of others, Dorsainvil knows how vital this bustling corridor is to the city.

“Not everyone will get the same benefit from a mural, or see it the same way, but some will see the deeper story and be able to connect with it,” Dorsainvil said. “Simple symbols can offer space for reflection on the big challenges, but also the everyday, seemingly small things that we need to work through in order to be a better version of ourselves.”

A bright sun beckons locals and visitors, where they can spot depictions of a high five, a heart, and other signs of life. Stacked lines mimic the never-ending movement of the space. Flowers represent the smaller moments that make up humanity, from times of grief to those of joy. Other parts of the mural act as gateways to each corner of Boston—from transportation hubs, to nature, to civic infrastructure.

“I hope it’s a joyful gesture at a place of human connection,” Dorsainvil said. “I hope it helps people feel like they’re being held in that space, even for a moment while they’re passing through.”

Find more of Dorsainvil’s work on Instagram @oh_sabeedee.