Sali Herman is celebrated for his beautiful and mysterious images of the urban Australian landscape. Coming to Australia in 1937 after travelling through Europe, North and South America and Africa, Herman studied alongside artists such as Russell Drysdale and Peter Purves Smith at George Bell's Studio in Melbourne, where he developed a strength and individuality in his approach to painting. The surface of Herman's works are unique in their modelled texture, as layers of colour are worked over each other in order to create a sense of energy and depth. His iconographic terrace houses and narrow lanes are intimate, evocative visions that capture the humanity of inner-Sydney.

Winner of the Wynne prize in 1944, 1962 and 1965, and the Sulman prize in 1946 and 1948, Herman is recognised as one of Australia's most important painters. His work is held in all Australian state galleries, the National Gallery of Australia, and many regional galleries and other public collections. A major retrospective of his work toured Australia in 1981.