Artist Bio: Jesse Dorian Yazzie is a notable muralist, artist, and entrepreneur in Phoenix, Arizona, known for his profound integration of Navajo cultural elements with the boldness of Chicano Street art. Born and raised in Phoenix with strong connections to the Navajo Reservation, Yazzie's art serves as a cultural bridge, reflecting his personal journey of resilience and transformation. His artistic career was ignited by his brother Vince, a graffiti artist, and further shaped by his life experiences, including a period of incarceration that led him to use art as a tool for personal recovery and expression.
Yazzie has contributed over 30 murals to Arizona's public spaces, each telling a story of cultural identity, healing, and triumph over adversity. Beyond his murals, he operates a screen printing business and is developing his own apparel line, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to the local arts scene.
About Jesse's design: This is my recovery cycle. The different graffiti skull designs are the different emotions and characters that I experienced in addiction. There's a lot of hatred, depression, anxiety, and hope that come in waves and over the years I've come to accept that hardships are the pathway to peace, taking sobriety one day at a time. But now that the substance isn't my direct issue anymore, I still struggle with the character defects and learned behaviors that led me to addiction in the first place. This brings new meaning to the graffiti skulls present tense, anger that was once amplified by substance, is now amplified inwardly, as I navigate how to deal with emotions. The same is for depression, anxiety, and hope. It often feels like a mountain on top of mountains that I have to climb, it's no wonder how addicts' relapse, and how some lose hope. That's why the focus of this cycle is "DONT GIVE UP"
