Piece by Piece: The Mosaics of Evelyn Ackerman

Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman brought, in the words of Glenn Adamson, “an optimistic energy to the wide horizons of craft” of the mid-twentieth century. The Ackermans, Los Angeles-based partners in life and work, were influenced by the national “Good Design” movement espoused by MoMA, and their practice served as an interdisciplinary bridge between the mass production of Alexander Girard’s designs and the handmade ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler. Employing their deep knowledge of fine art, traditional craft, and design, the couple created a body of work remarkable for its diversity of styles, techniques, and materials, playing a central role in the distinctive aesthetic of California mid-century modernism.

The second exhibition at R & Company dedicated to the Ackermans, Piece by Piece focuses on their mosaic panels. These designs were first made by Evelyn in the mid-1950s and then produced by artisans in Mexico City, who painstakingly hand-cut Venetian tesserae mosaic tiles to match Evelyn’s templates and cartoons. Between 1957 and 1965, more than 50 designs were produced in small batches in Mexico, in a remarkable feat of cross-cultural exchange.

Although ERA Industries, their business managed by Jerry, distributed the mosaics to an American network of interior design firms, architects, and retail establishments, each example is unique, with subtle variations reflecting the hand of the maker. Several of the mosaics on view in this exhibition are extremely rare. Elipses, arguably their most iconic panel (an example is in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Art Museum), was co-designed by Jerry and Evelyn.

The works on view are courtesy of the Estate of Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman, the collection of Gary and Laura Maurer, and other sources. Piece by Piece coincides with the release of Laura Ackerman Shaw’s 2025 monograph, Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman: California Mid-Century Designers, which will be available at the front desk.

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Wall color generously provided by Alkemis Paint.