Herman Hermsen

As he says himself, Herman Hermsen’s work is always humorous. Much of his jewellery starts as a playful comment on the glittering, lavish jewels of the past, often laced with more than a hint of irony or mischief. Always clear and concise in form, Herman’s work constantly explores and reinterprets what jewellery and objects mean, searching for a playful pictorial language with which to express himself.  

Born in Nijmegen in the Netherlands in 1953, Herman studied at the Akademie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Arnhem. Herman recently retired as professor of product and jewellery design at the University of Applied Sciences in Dusseldorf. His work is held in collections worldwide, including the Marzee Collection, CODA Apeldoorn, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim, Die Neue Sammlung in Munich, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.