Herman Hermsen studied at the Academie Beeldende Kunsten in Arnhem from 1974 to 1979. From 1985 he taught product design, first at the HKU in Utrecht, then in Arnhem and finally at the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf, where he also taught jewellery design. His internationally acclaimed work is characterised by humour and a minimalist aesthetic that serve as a biting commentary on the preciousness and value of ornamentation.

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.