A CREATIVE QUEST

20+ DetroitBlack Artists

July

2020

Learn more about the art ists behind the murals in Eastern

Market and around Detroit . These 20+ art ists have created

artwork that has t ransformed the market while tel l ing a story.

pu

blish

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by

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Tiff Massey is an interdisciplinary artist from

Detroit, Michigan. She holds an MFA in

metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of

Art. Her work, inspired by African standards

of economic vitality, includes both large-

scale and wearable sculptures, music and

performance.

She uses contemporary observances of class

and race through the lens of an African

diaspora, combined with inspiration drawn

from her experience in Detroit.Tiff Massey

is a 2015 Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellowship

awardee, as well as a two-time John S. and

James L. Knight Foundation’s Knight Arts

Challenge winner, and the 2019 recipient of

Art Jewelry Forum’s Susan Beech Mid-

Career Artist Grant.

Massey has participated in numerous

international residencies including Red Bull

in Detroit, Ideas City (in Detroit, Athens,

Greece and Arles, France) hosted by The

New Museum of New York and with the

Volterra-Detroit Foundation in Volterra,

Italy. Tiff Massey’s work has been widely

exhibited in both national and international

museums and galleries.

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TiffMassey

F E A T U R E S

Website: https://www.tiffmassey.comInstagram: @tiff_masseyMural Location: 2534 Market St

Detroit-bred, Illustrative fine artist Sydney

G. James began her career as an ad agency

Art Director after earning her BFA with an

illustration concentration from the College

of Creative Studies in 2001. In 2004, Sydney

relocated to Los Angeles expanding her

career as a visual artist in the film and

television industry, earned a masters degree

in secondary art education and evolved her

commercial artistry to a life as a fine artist.

Sydney returned to Detroit in 2011 and

since has become one of the leading creative

change agents. By participating in a

multitude of community arts projects,

Sydney extended her career to mural

painting. She has completed murals in

Detroit, New Orleans, Atlanta, Los Angeles,

Honolulu and Ghana. Sydney takes on every

project with the intent to evoke emotion in

her viewers and hopefully cause positive

change.

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SydneyJames

F E A T U R E S

Website: http://www.sydneygjames.com/Instagram: @sydneygjamesMural Locations: - Top: 3400 Russell St- Middle: 2638 Orleans St - Bottom: 1532 Adelaide St

Born in Detroit, Marlo Broughton is a

painter that has been involved in the local

creative scene since 2007. After studying

industrial design at Wayne State, he joined

the creative group FINALLY FAMOUS,

whose core collective helped to propelled

Big Sean’s indie career, Marlo and his

collaborative partner Tommey Walker

created all of Big Sean’s graphic works.

Broughton works with several of Detroit

creative galleries and agencies including

PLAYGROUND DETROIT, Inner State

Gallery and 1xRun, Detroit Institute of Arts

and Red Bull House of Art.

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MarloBroughton

F E A T U R E S

Instagram: @marlobroMural Locations: - Top: 1561 Adeline St - Bottom: 2531 Riopelle St

Efe Bes, a Central African native, born in

Detroit, MI is the founder and lead musician

of iBm and Bambuti music and movement

group. BES, the culture-shifting New Afrikan

Instumentalist, masterfully fuses new-

school African polyrhythms with

contemporary hip-hop, techno, house, jazz,

reggae, & pop aesthetics.

Today, as a single drummer and/or being

accompanied by dancers, Efe has performed

locally, nationally, and internationally with

music notables such as Alicia Keys, the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Parliment

Funkadelic alum. Efe has been a featured

artist at the Henry Ford Museum, Concert of

Colors, Detroit African World Festival(s)

and was announced as a 2016 Detroit

Afrikan Music Institution (DAMI) artist-in-

residence.

Efe created a piece to capure African culture

in his own artistic style.

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Efe Bes

F E A T U R E S

Instagram: @efe.besMural Location: 2638 Orleans St

Tylonn J. Sawyer is an American

multidisciplinary artist educator and

curator. Trained in the figurative arts based

practices Sawyer’s work juxtaposes themes

of identity–both individual and collective–

with investigations of race and history in

popular culture.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Sawyer

has been included in solo and group

exhibitions throughout the United States

and abroad including the Venice Biennale,

Italy; Texas A & M University, Texas; The

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, The

Charles H. Wright Museum of African

American History, The Detroit Institute of

Art, Michigan; Heron Arts, San Francisco;

Kravets/Wehby Gallery, Rush Arts & The

New York Academy of Art, New York,

amongst others.

Sawyer holds an MFA  in painting from the

New York Academy of Art: Graduate School

of Figurative Art program and a Bachelor of

BFA (drawing & painting) from Eastern

Michigan University. Sawyer currently lives

and works in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

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TylonnSawyer

F E A T U R E S

Website: http://www.tylonn-j-sawyer.comInstagram: @tylonn.j.sawyerMural Location: 2638 Orleans St

Antonio “Tony Whlgn” Robinson is an artist

and designer who was born on Detroit’s east

side. His work ranges from internationally

recognized album artwork to murals in your

local neighborhood.

In 2009, with the help of his close friends

they formed, the Whlgn®. They encourage

creatives and individuals alike to be

entrepreneurial, live out their dreams,

follow what they believe to be true, and not

conform to what society believes will make

them happy in their lives. Their objective is

to open the door of imagination & inspire

individuals that can relate.

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TonyWhlgn

F E A T U R E S

Website: https://toneytonytone.comInstagram: @tonywhlgnMural Location: 1562 Alfred St

Ashley is a Detroit based artist/art teacher

who best describes her work as purposefully

figurative, not intended to be understood

literally. Acrylic, and Oil paint help to

embrace her vibrant, whimsical, intricate

and sometimes rude imaginations of

inanimate objects, body parts, and creatures

on wood or canvas.

With over 10 years of experience in both

painting and teaching, she is known for her

live art performances throughout Detroit

Michigan. She has been showing her artwork

in both solo and group exhibitions since

2008.

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AshleyMcFadden

F E A T U R E S

Email: Ashesmacksart@gmail.comMural Location: 3500 Riopelle St

Bakpak Durden is an interdisciplinary fine

artist. With a primary focus on the figure,

Bakpak uses a range of mediums including

oil and acrylic paint, graphite and fine art

photography to create their hyperrealistic,

conceptual style. Their detailed, emotionally

engaging subjects shine a spotlight on

human feelings and moods.

Bakpak is focused on continuing their work

within community, queer and mental health

advocacy and representation as a Detroiter

in the beorgening art scene.

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BakPakDurden

F E A T U R E S

Website: https://bakpakdurden.comInstagram: @bakpakdurdenMural Location: between Orleans and Riopelle

Since 2010, Bre’Ann White has curated

stunning photographs and branding

materials for organizations worldwide. The

Detroit-bred fashion and portrait

photographer is known for creating and

cultivating striking images that draw you

into the subject’s world. Throughout White’s

work portfolio, there is a consistent layer of

authenticity and imagination. 

With confidence in her work and her vision,

Bre’Ann’s career has allowed her to

showcase her work and explore exhibition

opportunities to connect to a broader

audience. Her work has been shot around

the world including New York, Los Angeles,

Africa, Southern France, Italy, and Australia.

Bre’Ann White has exhibited work in The

African American Museum of Phil, Arabic

National Museum, Playground Detroit,

UICA of Grand Rapids, N’Namdi Center for

Contemporary Art, Norwest Gallery, and

SaveArtSpace and has been featured in

national publications such as Teen Vogue,

Hour Magazine, Essence, Netflix and Harper

Bazaar.

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BreannWhite

F E A T U R E S

Website: http://www.breannwhite.comInstagram: @breannwhiteMural Location: 3500 Riopelle St

From working at the plant to 2018’s Detroit

Metro Times Best Visual Artist, Brian

“BNICK” Nickson has risen to stardom. Brian

was born on the east side of Detroit and has

been drawing all of his life. However, it

wasn’t until recent years that he has taken

the profession seriously.

His preferred painting medium is acrylic, and

is often mistaken for oil paintings. Names

like Snoop Dogg, and Martin Lawrence are

just a few public figures who responded

after seeing Brian's work on his social media

handles. Even DIA Director Salvador Salort-

Pons has tweeted about Brian's artwork.

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BrianNickson

F E A T U R E S

Website: https://www.artbybnick.comInstagram: @briannicksonart

Nick Pizana is a painter, illustrator and

muralist from Detroit, MI. In addition to his

personal art practice, Nick is a co-

owner/curator at KO Studio Gallery in

Hamtramck, MI and a board-

member/curator at Whitdel Arts in Detroit,

MI.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“My first major experiences in art came in

my teenage years writing comics and graffiti.

Even as I’ve grown and branched out into

other mediums, a lot of those aesthetic

values still form the foundation of my work.

My style is characterized by bright,

unnatural color, dark bold lines and

expressive figures and shape that invoke

movement and action. The narrative goal of

my work changes with each series, ranging

from sarcastic social critiques to honest

reflections, from depictions of everyday life

to awesome fantasy. Many times these lines

are blurred.“

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NickPizana

F E A T U R E S

Website: http://nickpizana.comInstagram: @SHORIN_NICK

Though born and raised in Mississippi,

Olayami Dabls is a Detroiter through and

through.  “I moved to Detroit in 1965 at the

age of 17. I was educated here in the city,

worked and raised my family in the city and

became an artist in the city.”

In the years between 1975-1985, Dabls

joined the Charles H. Wright Museum of

African American History as a curator and

artist-in-residence. There, he learned how

challenging it was to talk about the civil

rights movement, because in talking about

emotionally charged history, there is no

fixed perspective, only the memories and

experiences of millions of individuals. This

inspired him to create the African Bead

Museum as a space for communal

understanding through his own sculptures

and his collection of African material

culture.

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OlayamiDabis

F E A T U R E S

Instagram: @olayamidablsWebsite: http://www.mbad.org/#our-story

Born in Detroit, Paul Johnson made his

introduction into Detroit's art scene via

pictures known by his social experiment

called "Pinches". Later traveling to Thailand

and later studying in Australia, proceeded to

have an exhibition in Melbourne titled

"Holding Up // Holding On." After arriving

back to the states immediately took off to

Brooklyn, New York having a small showing

of work featuring a series called

"Cloudscaping" Upon arriving back in

Detroit was accepted into the Red Bull

House of Art Residency producing two

series “Rencendence” and “Holding Out”.

Now currently working with 1xrun as their

Printshop specialist and in between jaunts

into Detroit’s ruins to paint in his passion for

painting.

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Paul Johnson

F E A T U R E S

Instagram: @_fftyWebsite: http://www.fftyffty.com

BA visual artist turned musician, Sheefy

McFly uses the concept of creating visual art

and applies those methods to developing

music. His sound is bass driven and errie

sounding to reflect the impulses he feels

while creating.

Sheefy is known for being a visual artist,

rapper, DJ, producer and designer in

Detroit.

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SheefyMcfly

F E A T U R E S

Instagram: @sheefymcflyWebsite: https://www.1xrun.com/artists/sheefy/Mural Location: - Top - N/A - Bottom 2735 Russell St

Tyree studied at the College for Creative

Studies in Detroit and in 2009 was awarded

an honorary Doctorate of Fine Art. He

exhibits his work extensively throughout the

United States and the world.  

Tyree’s art is featured in the Detroit

Institute of Arts, the University of Michigan

Museum of Art, the Studio Museum of

Harlem and many others. His work as an

artist has earned him over 18 awards, locally

and nationally.

Tyree has also been featured in major

publications, books, and television (including

the Oprah Winfrey Show) and was the

subject of the Emmy Award Winning

Documentary, Come Unto Me, the Faces of

Tyree Guyton; and more recently the

subject of a book published in 2007 by WSU

Press, Connecting the Dots, Tyree Guyton’s

Heidelberg Project—a 2008 Michigan

Notable Book.  Tyree is married and

continues to live and work in the city of

Detroit.

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Tyree Guyton

F E A T U R E S

Instagram: @tyreeguytonWebsite: http://www.martosgallery.com/

Antonio “Shades” Agee, a passionate Detroit

native and public figure, was an active

participant in the creation of the Detroit

graffiti scene as one of the first documented

graffiti artists in the city.  Growing up in the

Motor City, Shades has drawn invaluable

influence from his father, a successful jazz

musician.

Being surrounded by the sounds of legends

like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra shaped

his early years, implanting an appreciation

for the arts while inspiring further creativity.

Always intuitively attracted to the graphic

arts, Shades explored ways to express his

work throughout the streets of Detroit. He

began to practice aerosol artwork (also

known as graffiti) shortly before the hip-hop

phenomenon hit Detroit, making graffiti” a

more household name.

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Shades

F E A T U R E S

Instagram: @shadesdetWebsite: https://www.shadesdet.com/Mural Location: 1461 Gratiot Ave

Tony Rave was introduced to the world of

art by his uncle, a Detroit artist known for

his comic-style paintings in the late 1980s.

Rave remembered those that helped

develop his craft as he grew older. “I had

artists around me who were great at what

they did. I learned how to be more

experimental, even with things that seemed

weird at first,” he said. “For example, I

started using pigs in my work and people

didn’t understand why. But using that animal

allowed me to open up artistically and be

more expressive. The work turned out to

have more depth.”

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Tony Rave

F E A T U R E S

Instagram: @tonyrave

Sabrina Nelson was born in the late 60's

during the riots in Detroit Michigan. She is a

painter by degree from Detroit’s College for

Creative Studies. Influenced by Yoruba

Religion as well as Eastern and African

Philosophy. The work is a combination of

spirit, motion and intimacy, not limited by 2

dimensions the scope of her work also

includes sculpture, objects and installations.

Sabrina has been a professional artist for

over 35 years and an educator for nearly as

long. As a studio art teacher at the Detroit

Institute of Arts, she lectures and preformed

artist demonstrations. She is also on the

staff for the College for Creative Studies

where she works hard at motivating and

preparing students to pursue an art degree

in Detroit.

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Sabrina Nelson

F E A T U R E S

Instagram: @sabrinanelson67Mural Location: 2611 Russell St

Born and Raised in the City of Detroit, Artist

Phillip Darnell Simpson has been drawing

and painting since a child. Simpson works

predominantly in the medium of painting but

very sufficient in pencil. Simpson specializes

in making people smile with his work.

Some of his work can be found in galleries

but also in many urban neighborhoods

across the city. Simpson believes that if he

makes one persons smile with his work, his

job is done.

Simpson is founder and owner of The

Baltimore Gallery located in Milwaukee

Junction, Detroit.

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Phil Simpson

F E A T U R E S

Website: https://www.thesmilebrand.comInstagram: @artbyphillipsimpsonMural Location : Mack and St Aubin

Ijania Cortez was born July 31, 1990 in

Detroit Michigan. At an early age she was

encouraged to pursue art from her early

teachers, and began to study on her own.

Though she lost touch with her craft in her

high school years, with encouragement from

peers, she began to create art again in 2012.

Rediscovering her passion, she began

teaching herself through strenuous study.

She hosted her first solo exhibition, A

Summer Nativity, in July 2017Focusing on

portraiture, the artist’s work uses vibrant

colors and scale to evoke a sense of divinity

in her subjects. Handcrafting customized

canvases from salvaged wood and building

material, her pieces have been described as

soulful, provocative, and indicative of the

beauty of the human spirit.

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IjaniaCortez

F E A T U R E S

Website: http://ijania.comInstagram: @ijania

Rashaun Rucker is a product of North

Carolina Central University and Marygrove

College. He makes photographs, prints and

drawings and has won more than 40 national

and state awards for his work. In 2008

Rucker became the first African American to

be named Michigan Press Photographer of

the Year. He also won a national Emmy

Award in 2008 for documentary

photography on the pit bull culture in

Detroit. Rucker was a Maynard Fellow at

Harvard in 2009 and a Hearst visiting

professional in the journalism department at

UNC-Chapel Hill in 2013.

In 2014 Rucker was awarded an artist

residency at the Red Bull House of Art. In

2016 Rucker was honored as a Modern Man

by Black Enterprise magazine. In 2017

Rucker created the original artwork for the

critically acclaimed Detroit Free Press

documentary 12 and Clairmount. His work

was recently featured in HBO’s celebrated

series Random Acts of Flyness and Native

Son. In 2019 Rucker was awarded the Red

Bull Arts Detroit micro grant and was named

a Kresge Arts Fellow for his drawing

practice. IN 2020 RUCKER WAS NAMED

A Sustainable Arts Foundation AWARDEE.

Rucker’s diverse work is represented in

numerous public and private collections.

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RashaunRucker

F E A T U R E S

Website: http://www.rashaunrucker.comInstagram: @ruckerartsMural Location: 2220 Gratiot