This is a conversation ABOUT talent (rather than directly with the talent) covering the late, great LeRoy Neiman. That being said, my two guests are very talented and knowledgeable about LeRoy and they offer sharp details about his illustrious career and great insight into him as an artist. 

The occasion for our conversation is the exhibition of LeRoy’s work, titled “A Keen Observer of Style” which covers art he created between the 1950s and 2000s. It’s on display at the Kent State University Museum through the end of June 2026.

LeRoy was an artist who loved to work with vibrant colors and much of his work is instantly recognizable by his signature bold and dynamic brushwork through which he truly created his own design language. 

Some would say he had a Pop Art sensibility because his style pulled from impressionism, expressionism and realism. The funny thing is, if Leroy was asked how he would peg his work, he liked say that it’s just “Neimanism.”

Some listeners may be familiar with LeRoy’s colorful depictions of musicians, celebrities, social and street scenes and athletes. He also captured the world’s most famous sporting events throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, including the Super Bowl, Formula 1 races and the Kentucky Derby. He was even named the official artist of the Olympiad in 1972, and he held that role for five separate Olympic Games. This tremendously expanded his global visibility.  

But before he moved into capturing these events in paintings and screen prints, he spent much of his time throughout the 1950s as a fashion illustrator. And this is mostly what’s featured in the special exhibition of his work. What’s noteworthy is that his experience with fashion illustration really informed his later approach to composition, portraiture and personality in his paintings.

This episode features the renowned mutli-talented, avant garde, internationally acclaimed British fashion photographer and dynamic personality, Dr. Ram Shergill. 

He was a featured speaker at an event organized by the Kent Museum, in partnership with Kent’s School of Fashion and the university’s Environmental Science and Design Research Institute. Kent professors Sue Yoder and Margarita Benitez helped organize his appearance. 

Among the many verticals and industries in which Ram is involved with, he taps into fashion design, textile creation using innovative materials, fashion photography and biological and biochemical-based science. He's a very imaginative and ambitious thinker and creator.  

He’s a prolifically published writer and photographer, with his work appearing in the top fashion magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, Wallpaper and GQ. He also has had many papers published in scientific journals. He also has a degree in structural architecture, and he redefines what being a lifelong learner looks like. 

Ram is well known for the photography book “Amy by Ram,” spotlighting the legendary and late pop singer Amy Winehouse. It comprises over 50 previously unpublished color images of Amy shot by Ram, including an interview with him as well. Two of the portraits featured in the book are on permanent display at the National Portrait Gallery within the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

His design work has been shown in exhibitions internationally at institutions including Sotheby’s, Victoria & Albert Museum, The Wallace Collection, Somerset House and the Museum of Contemporary Arts in London. He also has created highly innovative campaigns, commercial books and catalogues. 

This episode features the extremely glamorous and highly identifiable jewelry brand, David Webb, known for its unique design language which is big, bold and frequently very blingy. The pieces carry price tags in the 5 and 6 digit range, and since it began in 1948, it has found many fans among those in Hollywood and high society.  

For visual reference, visit DavidWebb.com.  

This line of jewelry includes necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets and brooches. It’s couture, it’s high fashion, it’s quality and it’s master craftmanship. David Webb really is the definition of luxury and he has been widely acclaimed as one of the most influential jewelry designers of the 20th century.