We were lucky to catch up with Jesse Yazzie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jesse, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Growing up and going to juvenile and eventually jail, I would always escape through pencil and paper. I would draw people custom postcards and portaits, tattoo designs, what every anyone would pay for by way of commissary. Eventually, My Prison counsellor Quintana Anderson gave a call for artists to paint a mural in prison. This would be the first time that I knew I wanted to pursue a creative artistic path professionally. Because we could still work during a lockdown, among many other things, It truly felt like an escape. I fell in love with the process and when I learned how much people make doing it, I was sold.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

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.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

there is a prospective that comes with a hard earned wisdom. I believe that most addicts and people getting thier lives together understand this and appreciate this. I believe that for the non addicts, we become modern day prophets, seeing the world from our weathered prospective. I believe that my perspective and those whom share this view with me, have the power to rewrite history and affect change.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

victimization. I think that growing up with my mom in a violent home. I adopted the identity from my mom and big sister. we would escape from our home often early in the morning. feeling exhausted at school. my father was an addict and alcoholic. very abusive. going to prison and creating who I am today gave me the strength to create my new reality, with every piece of art.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Jesse.Yazzie
• Facebook: Jesse Yazzie Designs LLC

Image Credits

Super Bowl Mural Main artist – La Morena
– Supporting artists –
Me among 8 other artists.