Tiff Massey

Biography

Tiff Massey is an artist from Detroit. She did her master’s in visual arts with a focus on metalsmithing at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her work, which is inspired by African viewpoints on economic dynamics, includes both large-scale and wearable sculptures. Massey sees the iconic culture that arose through hip hop in the 1980s as one of her greatest sources of inspiration. She makes use of contemporary studies on class relations and race, viewing them through the lens of an African diaspora. In addition her work draws on her experience of living in Detroit. Alongside her artistic metalwork, Massey also produces music, films and videos. She has taken part in a variety of international programmes, including ideas city in Detroit and Athens (Greece) and Arles (France), an initiative hosted by the New Museum of New York and the Volterra-Detroit Foundation in Italy. Her work has been exhibited in the USA and internationally in museums and galleries. Her “What Up Doe” was commissioned by and premieres at the festival “Detroit – Berlin: One Circle”.