Today we’d like to introduce you to Yohannes Yamassee.
Yohannes is a budding entrepreneur and design architect.
A graduate of UCLA film school’s Master of Fine Arts program in Set and Production Design, he specializes in architecture, concept ideation, and entertainment design. Yohannes ‘s education began at Vincennes University in Indiana where he graduated with his A.S. in Architecture.
After that, he continued on to Illinois State University where he majored in Product Design and received a B.S. in Creative Technology. Uniquely inspired by his passion for the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Chicago World’s Fair, Yohannes has enjoyed working with Walt Disney Imagineering, Disneyland, Marvel, CBS Television Studios, LATC, Denver Center, Fountain Theatre, and more.
Pulling inspiration from Chicago roots, he is interested in the broad landscape of urban decay and its delicate interplay with advancing architectural modernity. He continues to integrate his multi-faceted philosophy of design into tomorrow’s worlds of stage, film, television, and beyond.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This may sound crazy, but what I love most about my journey is that it is one marked by adversity. I grew up as a young, black kid from Chicago’s notorious Southside. Inspired by my culture and surrounding neighborhoods, I developed a love for Architecture, Animation, and Design. I found beauty in the corroded landscapes, murals, and textures, which oftentimes found new life as the canvas of urban artists. I reveled in these discoveries because I honestly felt so isolated in my home life. Between my absent father, a mother who worked several jobs, and the school district tagging me for Special Ed, my world felt overwhelmingly small. Those formative years were tough ones, but they pushed me into a space that allowed my mind to inhabit and pursue all the passions that lived inside me.
So, here is how I painted my canvas to today.
After graduating from high school, I began my studies at Vincennes University in Architecture to understand the techniques used for designing buildings and urban planning. I furthered my education at Illinois State University, studying art and technology within product design. This knowledge opened my mind to the endless creativity within the entertainment industry. Here, I continued on to graduate school at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, where I received my Master of Fine Arts in Set & Production Design. Becoming the first African American to graduate from my program at UCLA.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I work as a Designer for theatre, film, television, theme parks and beyond.
I have the privilege to design as a Disney Imagineer on multiple projects, as well as designing for the Marvel’s Ghost Rider, CBS’s Strange Angel and many theatre productions throughout the LA area.
A year ago, I co-founded & designed a mobile app for the health-care system that will be active this 2020.
I’m thankful to be able to design in every industry and focus on telling a story that can be felt/helpful to audiences and consumers.
What sets me apart is the blessing as a black man designing with leading entertainment companies. Using my ideas and art to shape my own products/environments for consumers to use/feel.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Going fishing with my great grandparents is a memory I hold onto. They exposed me to nature -the peace of taking time and enjoying life from the Chicago’s busy metropolis. These weekends fishing opened my thoughts to their life growing up in Mississippi. The necessity to know how to hunt, and put food on the table. Practicing stillness, and letting life come to you. What my great grandparents gave me in those moments can be felt through the words of U.S. Andersen book; “Three Magic Words”.
“Everything in life that I need for my work and fulfillment will come to me. It is not necessary that I strain about this, only believe. For in the strength of my belief, my faith will make it so.”
To elaborate- they taught how to prepare, study the fish and watch the currents of the water. The movement, because the rivers are always changing. In order to catch the fish, it’s not faith alone- yet preparation.
Contact Info:
- Website: yohannesyamassee.com
- Instagram: YohannesYamassee
Image Credit:
Ayanna McKnight
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
