Creative Mind: Tiff Massey
Creating everything from one-of-a-kind jewelry to large-scale architectural environments, the Detroit-based artist is gearing up for her most ambitious museum installation to date
Detroit-based artist Tiff Massey’s multifaceted practice unites a multitude of genres. Creating everything from one-of-a-kind jewelry to large-scale architectural environments, she has produced a lively body of work that both explores the Motor City’s developing neighborhoods and celebrates West African and Black American culture and style.
“A title I’ve been giving myself recently is developer,” she says. “I’ve also had friends tell me that I am a storyteller, and I feel like that title fits, too. I never wanted to be a one-trick pony. I don’t want to be limited to one material or one way of talking to someone.”
Close to home: The artist’s most ambitious museum installation to date opens at the Detroit Institute of Arts on May 5. On view through May 4, 2025, “7 Mile + Livernois” refers to the area where she grew up and the site of a new art space she’s building for the community. For the exhibition, she will juxtapose a series of her newly commissioned sculptures with work that inspires her by artists in the museum’s permanent collection, including Louise Nevelson and Donald Judd. “I’m from 7 Mile, and here I am with full autonomy,” says Massey. “At the end of the day, it’s an art battle. I’m going to show you from my perspective what is good.”
Self-reflection: “I’m constantly trying to push the boundaries of my own practice. Overarchingly, what’s important to me is that my people and the diaspora see reflections of themselves. Those visibility elements are essential.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Spring Issue under the headline “Creative Minds.” Subscribe to the magazine.