ART STORIES: Jeryce Dianingana
Jeryce is the creator of this Futuristic African setting that won the Beyond Human Challenge on ArtStation. His portfolio showcased an emotional maturity that immediately stood out for us, capturing what inspires him most: culture, family, and heritage. Today you can find him at UBISOFT and teaching occasionally at ICAN, his alma mater. We talk to Jeryce about everything from the inspiration for his piece, his move to Canada, to his favorite superhero, Black Panther.
Introductions
GT: So nice to meet you!
J: Hey, yeah thanks, it’s nice to meet you guys.
GT: So first, we’ve been blown away by your work. We’ve just been looking at it for the last hour. The Beyond Human Challenge you did — it’s awesome. The materials in it are just spectacular. It feels more than just nerdy, it feels very inspired.
J: Oh yeah, Absolutely. A lot of the inspiration comes from family, country. The list goes on.
GT: Where is your family from?
Je: Congo. But I was born in France.
GT: Oh, so born in France but actually from Congo?
Je: Ha, yeah!
Everything Comes Back to Halo
GT: So to start, how did you get into video games?
Je: Oh, wow… many years ago, in my childhood. Probably it was when I first played Halo, haha.
GT: Oh man, classic.
Je: Right, I know, classic. *Both laughing.* Because before Halo, to a younger version of me, video games had just been… video games. You start the game, you start playing.
But when I saw Halo — it was like a movie. There was an intro, they were talking, and you become really curious. So from the era of Goldeneye and Halo you started to think, this isn’t just a video game anymore. So yeah, I’d have to say Halo was probably when I got started.
GT: I don’t think that’s odd at all. I feel like a lot of people got inspired by that. The first Halo was pretty special.
Je: Yeah, after I finished it, I watched the “Behind the Scenes”. So I saw all these passionate people making their stuff, and I just knew I wanted to be there — behind the scenes, behind the computer, making games that people play.
On Game Art School
GT: When did you start making video game art?
Je: The first thing I tried was probably pretty lame.
GT: Yeah I think that’s everyone.
Je: True, true. So I guess I started after college, I think? I went to a video game school in Paris called ICAN.
GT: Oh this school looks awesome. The people we meet who come out of these French schools — they’re really cool. The quality of the artists is really stellar and very different from the American schools in a lot of ways.
Je: Yeah my school was very good! My first year was really hard — I think I had the worst grade in class, haha. My teacher wanted me to switch to another bachelor like Web Design. I didn’t know my specialty — but I was sure it wasn’t coding! But then in the second year was when I got into 3D art. That’s when you really get into audio, game design and have to decide on your speciality. Everything you need to make a game. Each year you get a school project. My second year project was tough.
So I made this project at school, and I did everything on this 3D game. By the end, I honestly wasn’t sure if I wanted to go with art or with design. But what ultimately lead me to the art was this : I can materialize and visit my dreams and thoughts in 3D. And I love visually sharing that work with everyone. Plus, the first thing you see in a game is the graphics.” When you watch a trailer, you don’t really think of just the story or the mechanics; you’re really impressed by the graphics.
You know, with everything else, you’re not as reliant on the technology, but the look of the game, it gets better and changes every year. I mean you guys would know. I was actually using your stuff when I was working at MyCloud3D. We would do stuff with apartments or restaurants.
On Work and Working
GT: Oh, no way! Yeah it’s been challenging. We’ve been pushing a lot more for an architectural look these days — “it’s all the rage.”
*both laughing*
GT: So you’re at Ubisoft now, how long have you been there?
Je: Eight months or so. Before that I was with Pretty Simple and then MyCloud3D before that— I was working in Unity, and I did all the visuals.
GT: So those lofts and stuff on your Artstation — those were all from a past job?
Je: Yeah, so all of that was done in Unity. People ask why I like it — I don’t know why. I just really like Unity!
GT: Right? Yeah, I don’t think anything’s wrong with that. In Unity are you using a specific material editor?
Je: Yes, so most of my objects are just using standard shaders. Sometimes I use that Plugin UBER shader — like what I did with my school project. You know, with the second project at my school — I managed to continue that project and actually got it published onto Steam.
On Video Games
Je: I don’t know if you know the game Ikaruga. But it’s a little like that — you basically have to move and combine with the obstacles. But yeah, I was young, way young. But I think looking back after four years of work, I’m happy with that.
GT: Oh yeah, I like that style. When I finished school I was just ripping off Geometry wars.
Je: Yeah! Because it’s simple!
GT: I mean I think Geometry Wars reminds us that simplicity in games is what really matters. Are you playing any games these days?
Je: I mean, yeah, of course. Assassin’s Creed: Origins.
*all laugh*
On Inspirations
GT: Of course you’re playing Assassin’s Creed. What other things inspire you currently in our industry? Or maybe not even in our industry — things outside of our industry?
Je: Sure, I mean, mostly Africa of course. My family, my mom, my siblings. Moving to Canada. I’m actually trying to make a scene about Canada. I always try to make a scene based on where I’m currently staying. Or just other things from my childhood. I love history. There are also a lot of movies, anime, and manga I really love.
GT: So what movies right now do you really love? What really gets you going right now?
Je: I mean I can talk about Black Panther! I. LOOOOOVE. Black Panther. I mean I even have a mask right here:
*holds up mask*
GT: Whoa!! That’s awesome. Oh, and I know you’re working on a Stranger Things scene, right?
Je: Oh yeah, I really like watching the show. The colors, the Upside Down especially.
GT: Yeah the lighting in that show is especially cool. I love how they use blue and red without overdoing it. It seems like it takes a really careful lighting person and cinematographer.
Je: Oh yeah. There’s just some really cool stuff they’re doing there. But yeah, I’m working on that but I just can’t focus on one thing. I need to do that, but I have to have a lot of things going on.
On Heritage
GT: So going back, you said you were born in Congo?
Je: No, but I’ve been back a lot of times.
GT: Well we loved the scene that you built and we’re not trying to tell you what to do but we’d love to see you explore that side in your art more.
Je: Me too! I love that people have asked me to continue this work. I’ve shared this actually with a lot of CG artists from CG Africa.
GT: Oh, neat! We have a lot of African customers.
Je: Yeah there’s definitely a strong community of artists in Africa. When I went to Congo, I visited an art school where they made a lot of handpainted work. And these are kids — who are 8 years old doing work that I can’t imagine. I felt like my scene was lame compared to these kids. I don’t know if its the hardship they have to endure but they were so good. I just feel really humbled because the scene has gotten a lot of fame, but these kids were so good.
GT: It just seems so rare to see someone’s 3D art portfolio to have this sort of inspiration in the background. Like in your portfolio there’s a lot of what appears to be African pottery.
Je: Oh yeah, I mean when anyone creates a scene from their heart — I mean, it’s like you said, I don’t think enough people make enough from their history or heritage. You’re right, it’s usually from a pre-existing game.
GT: Can you tell us a little more about some of the symbolism going on in this scene?
Je: Yeah so for example, if you zoom in… that mask on the left, near the first shape is actually the face of my grandmother who passed away three years ago. And in a lot of ways, I did this for her and my family — sort of an easter egg in the scene.
GT: That’s a really beautiful thing to do.
Je: Yeah she used to fondly say, “You’re my only son who’s going to succeed.” Not that she meant it — she just said that to bother the other people in my family and make them work! Haha, it was funny. She really believed in me; she was our pillar. And she inspired me a lot. I really got a lot from my grandmother.
Speaking of pillars, I printed and framed the Wakongo scene for my other pillar, my mother, haha ! She was really proud and very encouraging while I was doing the challenge!
GT: That’s really neat! — both the print and the mask. Are those other masks in the scene representative of people in your life?
Je: Yeah, so the first statue is actually a statue of something in our house in Congo — and the mask there has a symbol. That symbol is called hwe mu dua <he-mu-dwa>. It’s a symbol that means something like “the desire to do your best in your work.”
GT: That’s. Really. Cool.
Je: Yeah, I actually have this symbol on my tattoos. This other one is the symbol of life and life changing. It commemorates my grandmother in a lot of ways — that when she passed it was just the circle of life.
Je: This other symbol here stands for dynamism and adaptation. It’s a characteristic I try to embody that I can adapt anywhere. I find, I manage. It keeps me always smiling, always dynamic.
GT: So art before the tattoos or tattoos before the art?
JE: I got the tattoos before the art. It was maybe about five or six years ago.
On Resilience
GT: So on that same vein, here’s a question for you: You do seem to be all those things — smiley, strong, mentally focused. How do you try to live your life based on those principles?
JE: Well so for example — when I’m angry or I do stupid things — If I’m doing the wrong things — I try to correct that. In some ways, I have to refer back to my tattoos that I have this. Those tattoos are like my laws and my rules. In everything I do, I try to follow those simple statutes. I try to be transparent. So at my first job — the first thing I did was actually show my tattoos because, you know, some offices can’t have that. So I showed them my tattoos, and to me, it’s like I’m showing these people who and what I am.
On Canada
GT: So what do you think of Quebec so far?
JE: It’s awesome. People are way nice. It’s a little cold. There are a lot of memes about the Canadians and the Quebecers about being very nice, and it’s very true!
I don’t know if it’s a Canadian thing to be really open. Canadians, in like one minute of getting to know me, will suddenly start talking to me about their kids and their family.
The people here have been very, very nice. So we were talking about inspirations. Do you know Clinton Crumpler? He’s a senior environment artist at the Coalition in Vancouver. Clinton Crumpler is one of my inspirations. Technically speaking, he’s amazing. Even when I was in school, not even video game school yet, I was already looking at his stuff. So to work with him now? It’s surreal and weird.
On Mentors
GT: How often do you communicate with [Clinton Crumpler] and talk to him?
JE: He contacted me about a month ago about my scenes in Unity. He said he might have a way that we can work together given my skillset. So for me — it’s like, “Damn.” It’s just amazing to me. People like him inspire me and now he thinks we can work together? That’s crazy.
GT: Yeah, it’s great to have a mentor.
JE: Definitely. So for example there are a lot of artists who I just looked up to like Vincent Derozier or Pierre Fleau, but now I work with them and they’re colleagues and friends. In my mind, I just don’t know how I’ve managed to get into their studio. I was following these guys on Artstation and looking up their materials, and now I’m working with them.
I mean I wouldn’t say they’re formally mentors per say, but the things that they show me definitely inspire me.
GT: Sure, I mean now you have all these people you’re inspired by and now you’re working with them.
JE: Yeah, it’s absolutely crazy.
GT: I mean but it makes sense. You obviously have a high caliber of work like these guys. Your hospital scene that you did in Unity — that’s just amazing. I didn’t even realize it was all in Unity until this morning. It’s pretty rare to see 3D scenes in Unity look this good.
JE: Yeah most of the people who create in Unity are more in mobile and things like that. We don’t see a lot of AAA games using Unity. Except say Inside and Firewatch.
GT: Well, it’s been great talking to you Jeryce. Again, we’ve really loved your work and hope you keep making stuff in the vein of your heritage and your ancestry. Definitely looking forward to what’s ahead for you.
Many, many thanks to Jeryce and his wife for making the time to chat with us. You can find all of Jeryce’s artwork on his Artstation, and you can contact him through his Twitter, @jey_dia.
