ROGER embarked on his study of ceramics at Analy high school in Sebastopol California , with an inspiring art teacher named Angelo De Bello. Mr. De Bello introduced him to work of California ceramicists Robert Arneson , Richard Shaw and Daivd Gilhooly as well as other faculty members and graduate students at UC Davis in the 1970’s. Roger also took inspiration from artist potter and sonoma country resident, Marguerite Wildenhain, who’s history, work and writing opened his awareness of historical and global expression in ceramics.
Roger attended Santa Rose Junior College where he took courses with ceramic sculptor, Jean Yates, painter, Maurice Lapp and other art faculty. Roger then attended UC Davis where he studied with Davis faculty members, Robert Arneson ,wayne Theibaud, Roy De Forest, william Wiley, Robert Brady and others. completing his undergraduate at Davis and then Obtaining a Master’s degree at California State University, sacramento. from 1976 - 1979 Roger worked as a studio assistant to Robert Arneson on the various phases in the production of Arneson’s ceramic sculpture.
in the early 1980’s Roger’s work began to be shown in galleries in Davis, Sacramento, and the San Francisco Bay Area. By the late 1980’s Roger work was frequently shown in group and one person exhibitions in San Francisco including the San Francisco Art Institute, the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, the Fuller Goldeen gallery and the Fuller Gross gallery, gallery Paule Anglim and the Rena Brunstein Gallery.
in the 1990’s with the arrival of a new baby, family responsibilities and a position directing and curating exibitions at UC Davis’ M.U. art gallery Roger paused his art practice but continued to develop his art ideas.
In 2001, a different chapter began , Roger and his late wife and artist, Michele amrich and their young daughter , Anna , moved to Massachusetts after he was hired as the Director at the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery at the College of the Holy Cross. For the next 19 years, he dedicated himself to raising his daughter and fostering a vibrant exhibition program at Holy cross until his retirement in 2019.
In 2020, after a few decades with little opportunity for personal artistic practice roger created a ceramic studio in a 125 year old small barn in the backyard of he and his wife Kate’s property outside of New Haven , connecticut. making ceramics was what began his interest in art, he has resumed that practice.
Education
B. A. University of California, Davis, 1976
M.A. california state university, sacramento, 1980
The School of the art institute of chicago, fall, 1979
Ox-bow summer school of art, saugatuck, mi . 1978, 1979.
Employment
Studio Assistant, Robert Arneson, Benicia and Davis Ca. 1976-1979
adjunct instructor and gallery director, american river college, sacramento, ca. 1981-1982
Director, Memorial union art gallery, University of california, davis 1982- 2000
director, Iris and b. gerald cantor art gallery, worcester, ma 2001-2019 .
at UC Davis and sacramento state University roger studied with robert arneson, william wiley, roy de forest, manuel neri, lucian pompili, joesph mannino, cornelia schultz, wayne thiebaud, william allen, robert brady, ruth rippon, and peter vandenberge.
selected exhibitions 1986-92.
recent paintings, rena bransten gallery, (one person) san francisco, ca. 1992
why painting ? , susan cummings gallery, curator: bill berkson, mill valley, ca 1992
contra costa collects, (group) bedford gallery, regional center for the arts, concord, ca.1991
paule anglim gallery (three person), san francisco, ca, 1990
fresh visions, dorothy goldeen gallery, (four person), santa monica, ca. 1989
recent paintings, (one person) crocker art museum, sacramento, ca. 1989
selected paintings (one person), fuller gross gallery, san francisco, ca 1988
four bay area artists, nancy hoffman gallery, new york, 1987
signiture paintings, (one person) fuller goldeen gallery, san francisco, ca. 1987
after the gold rush -the odd object, (group) walter - mc bean galleries, san francisco art institute, ca 1986
selected reviews
dalkey, victoria, “view from the center”, sacramento bee, ca. april 12, 1992
berkson, bill , “new west coast painters,” art international, paris, france, autumn, 1989
donohue, marlena, “santa monica”, los angeles times, july 14, 1989
baker, kenneth, “the atomized self”, art coast magazine, santa monica, ca. 1989, pp. 50 - 59
berkson, bill, '“roger hankins”, art forum, new york, october, 1989
baker, kenneth, “post modernist views on painting” san francisco chronicle, july 1988
raynor, vivien, “four bay area artists, new york times, july 19, 1987
baker, kenneth, “driven to abstraction”, san francisco chronicle, april 19, 1987
baker, kenneth, “odd objects misfire’, san francisco chronicle, august 21, 1986