Tiffany Alexandra Masiana Kelly

Tiffany Alexandra Masiana Kelly is an award-winning writer and jeweller from both Kugluktuk, NU, and Fort Simpson, NT. Her traditional Inuit name is Masiana, named after Inuk leader Edna Klengenberg-Masiana. Kelly’s Inuk and Dene backgrounds both inspire her art practice, which has resulted in a diverse collection of beaded and fur hide jewellery. Kelly is also a published author with three children’s books under her belt that are inspired by cultural stories and the experiences of growing up in the North.

Kelly was exposed to artmaking at a young age, recalling memories of beading with her grandmother. “There were many times when my grandma made me take [a design] apart because it wasn’t done properly—it had to be done a certain way so it looked good, and so it would last,” she says. [1] Kelly continued beading as an adult and fully leaned into her jewellery practice around 2020. Around the same time she also began writing professionally after completing a writing workshop in Kugluktuk, NU. She published her first title, The Dancing Trees, in 2021, as a children’s book inspired by the land of the Northwest Territories and the concept of treating nature with respect. The title was shortlisted for a First Nation Communities READ Award in 2022. 

Alongside her literary career, Kelly maintains an active beading and sewing practice with a focus on fusing contemporary techniques with traditional mediums. For example, Kelly has used heat transfer and sublimation techniques to transfer digitally-made patterns onto hide, which she then incorporates into earrings, like golden rowan (2023). She is also an avid beader: “I have beads out all the time—I’m always beading,” she says. Each of Kelly’s earring designs are entirely unique, often inspired by patterns and images from nature like leaves and flowers. She has also created ookpik dolls using sealskin. 

Kelly’s published titles have won and have been nominated for a number of awards. We Love You as Much as the Fox Loves Its Tail (2023) won the award for Best Book for Kids and Teens at the 2024 Canadian Children’s Book Centre awards and was a finalist for the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award in 2024. That same year Kelly released her third children’s book Bannock in a Hammock (2024). Kelly is also an active participant in creative workshops for moose hair tufting and the making of traditional fur and hide trappers’ hats. “I’m constantly looking for ways to learn new things that represent our culture and traditions, but that I can also use to create things for my family and friends and pass on to others as I grow older,” she says.