Troy Duff ’87

Troy Duff ’87 was introduced to graffiti art in high school by a friend. He was attracted by the bright colors, the complex layering of the paint, and, he admits, by “the excitement of trying to get away with something.” Today, this graffiti artist is not staying in the shadows—far from it. He has been commissioned to do public art in various parts of Nashville, including the 12South neighborhood and the POP restaurant and gallery space in East Nashville. He’s so “legit” that he has done live demonstrations in the Cool Springs Galleria to promote designer products. He’s so legit that he was profiled in Nashville Arts magazine—the first graffiti artist to ever be featured. While graffiti art may not be widely appreciated in conservative Nashville, Troy is on a mission to get the message out that “just because it’s done with a spray can doesn’t make it vandalism.” He says, “I want to do my part to make it more of an accepted art form.”

Troy has already made his mark in bigger, edgier cities. While living in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, he did some acting and modeling and also began putting his urban chic style of art on clothing. Owners of trendsetting boutiques in Beverly Hills and Hollywood noticed and started stocking his hand-sprayed hats, vests, tank tops, and accessories. Troy’s brand, Duff Stuff, branched into couture. He started painting on women’s pumps and on blazers for men and women, and his line of clothing started selling in New York and Japan, where his products were rated among the top 50 trendsetting items by a Japanese magazine. Such celebrities as Drew Carey, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Hudson, and Fergie own Troy’s creations.

 

With family still in the area, Troy came back to Nashville in 2006, married his high school sweetheart in 2009, and settled down to a varied and fulfilling artist’s life. He spends some of his time making fine art, and in 2010 he had his first solo show and sold a number of paintings. He accepts commissions for sign work, murals for restaurants, and fine art pieces. He does live art at conventions, festivals, and retail stores. He once famously stood outside of Dillard’s creating pieces to promote the Calvin Klein fragrance called Shock. “I like to interact with the people,” he says. “That’s really the best part about it, getting feedback from people.”

Having done a demonstration for kids at the Fanny Battle Day Home for Children, he’d like to offer artist workshops at private schools in the Nashville area. Troy also hopes to continue connecting with Harding, which he remembers as a community where he easily made friends as a new middle school student. Troy’s other goals are to exhibit in a major Nashville museum and to start Nashville’s first graffiti festival. He says, “Nashville is becoming a big little city, and I just think it's time.”