Cliffhanger Profile: Jeryce Dianingana

Jeryce’s love for games took him across the world, but his love for African art landed him at Cliffhanger. Learn more about Senior Environment Artist Jeryce Dianingana below and check out the Cliffhanger Games careers page to see if any available roles match your skills.

Career So Far

“I was born in Paris, France, to parents who emigrated from the Republic of Congo. My father is a Lari, and my mother a Mbochi, two of the many ethnic groups that can be found in Congo. I pursued a course that teaches you various aspects of game development, including game design, level design, audio design, and art. During this course, I discovered my aptitude for 3D art and decided to specialize in this field.

My career began at an architectural visualization company, where I translated architectural blueprints into digital 3D models. After two years, I transitioned to my first triple-A studio, Ubisoft in Quebec, Canada, working on Assassin’s Creed. Subsequently, I joined Eidos Montreal and contributed to the development of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – another Marvel game! Following my time in Canada, I relocated to London, UK, where I worked at Rocksteady Studios for approximately five years. Most recently, I moved to Vancouver to join Cliffhanger Games and work on the Black Panther project. My journey in the industry spans nearly a decade, and it has been an incredible experience.”

About Your Role

“I have always specialized in African art, as I focus on my culture and strive to blend my heritage with my professional skills and experience. My goal has been to bring more attention to African culture within the industry. Working on this current project allows me to fulfill that ambition. Although I have worked on various other projects, this Black Panther project is the first opportunity where I can seamlessly integrate my personal and professional life in a game, which is perfect.

Through the years, I accumulated knowledge from different people: my parents, friends, and elders in Congo and other countries that contributed to making me the artist I am today, which I use everyday as inspiration for the game. As a Senior Environment Artist, my primary responsibility is to help build Wakanda. I collaborate closely with the Art Director, concept artists, and the narrative team, among others, to create a believable and immersive world.”

Life at Cliffhanger

“Phil Straub, the art director, was the first person I talked to at Cliffhanger. It was perfect. But on the other side, I was like, ‘Okay, so now I will need to move out of London, UK. I have the best opportunity in my life, and I have to leave my comfort and my family again.’ But with a lot of discussion with them, and especially my mom, they said, ‘It's for the culture, you have to do it.’

Having the possibility to help give representation to friends within the continent is everything I wanted. I had a lot of doubts at the beginning, I have to admit. But the people here are really great. They are eager to learn as much as me, they’re really open minded, asking me a lot of questions about Congo, about other cultures that I’m familiar with in Africa, the countries I've visited.”

Thank you for the interview, Jeryce! To learn more about Cliffhanger Games – including career opportunities – be sure to head to our website.