Roger Herman: Keramik

A vibrant, polyphonous collection of ceramic works from the past 20 years, paired with an intimate view into the artist’s modern house-cum-studio

The German-born, Los-Angeles–based artist Roger Herman (born 1947) constructs dynamic orchestrations of color and form spanning painting, ceramics and printmaking. While past books about the artist have focused on his works from a specific period of time, this stately linen-bound publication charts the development of his ceramic work from the late ’90s through 2022. As such, readers are granted access to the tremendous range of Herman’s aesthetic experimentation; abstract expressionist ceramics share space with those inspired by manga figuration. Vibrant, quickly applied glazes and spontaneous voids underscore Herman’s painterly approach to ceramics. This holds true regardless of Herman’s vessel, be it a small, handheld teacup or an exceptionally tall or wide vase. Photographs of the works on display are accompanied by never-before-seen photographs of the artist’s studio, which doubles as his home—a self-constructed modernist dwelling in the hills of Los Angeles.