Artist CV

Nick Mass is a multimedia artist from Buffalo, NY. 

A self described  “Rapper, Painter, Creative, dude”, he expresses himself in any way he can. Some hats he wears on and off include improv comedian, video editor, website/social media designer, collage cutter, instant photographer, event and exhibition curator, clothing brand owner, rapper, poet, horrible no good football player, and home cook. His involvement in the music, art, poetry, photography and comedy scenes in Buffalo has been an influence on his fascination with the connectivity of a life's pieces and the roles we play into each other. 

Significant works include his three solo exhibitions “Puzzles and Pieces”, “The Heartbreakers”, and “i got u flowers”, the “Florals” series made for “Kids’ Table”, his experimental interview series “Vague Questions” in collaboration with Silas Rubeck, and his freshman musical effort “Cigarette Vending Machine” along with the subsequent music videos supporting the project. Through his work he explores themes of loss of love, romantic relationships, mental health issues, sexuality, home life and community documentation, interconnectivity, and the fleetingness of being.

As a curator, Nick has completed three projects spanning fine art and music. In 2023 and 2024 he headed his event series “4Square”, a hip-hop centered four act performance series featuring local vendors, games, installation from visual artists, projection/VJing, and home made food. His first endeavor in exhibition curation “Process” was a group show highlighting personal sketchbooks from 25 working artists in the Buffalo area. Building off of that experience he worked as a curator and mentor for former classmate May Shenk on their first solo exhibition “Muse”, a series of oil/acrylic paintings and sketches tackling the perceived disconnect between masculinity and beauty. Ongoing project wise, he is currently setting up the second annual “Process” showing and is developing an exhibition featuring Polaroid photography albums and installation work in the same vein. 

Nick is actively a member of Buffalo’s BICA School, was a member of Hunt Residencies V, is a frequent collaborator with The Crucible Art Collective, and has studied Fine Art at SUNY Niagara.