Artist, designer, and educator Daniel Massen was born in 1897 in Bornholm, Denmark and later spent over thirty years in Chicago. His work was deeply rooted in geometric abstraction. Massen was notably influenced by Charles Biederman, with whom he had a connection during Biederman's time in Chicago. This relationship, along with the influence of László Moholy-Nagy, can be seen in Massen's precise, non-objective geometric paintings and constructions, which stood out for their rigor and maturity within the Chicago art scene of the 1930s and 1940s. Massen taught color theory, painting, and design intermittently at the School of Design, now known as the Institute of Design, during the 1940s. His shift toward geometric abstraction occurred during this period, marking a significant evolution in his artistic practice.
Massen's early artistic career was shaped by his studies at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen and his travels throughout Spain, Germany, and France, where he painted landscapes and portraits before transitioning to abstract art. After moving to the United States in 1929, Massen lived in Chicago until 1962, teaching at the School of Design and the Art Institute of Chicago. He exhibited his work widely, both in America and Europe, including in modern art galleries in Copenhagen. In 1962, Massen relocated to Calcutta, India, where he worked as an artist for five years before settling in Washington, D.C. in 1967.
In addition to his painting, Massen was an accomplished designer, creating furniture and objects for the U.S. Army during World War II as part of the Works Project Administration's craft program. Among his designs were a parachute-folding table and an officer's desk for field use. In 1972, his work was celebrated with a retrospective at the Tyler Art School of Temple University in Philadelphia. Examples of Massen's art are now held at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Loeb Art Center at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and elsewhere. Massen passed away in 1979 at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.
