About

I cannot remember when I put this rat mask on for the first time…I am unsure whether I am
a rat or human. Perhaps my mother was a rat and my father a human. I think I am a bit of
each… Roger Ballen

Throughout his career, Roger Ballen has pursued a singular artistic goal: to give expression to the human psyche—to explore visually, the hidden forces that shape who we are. In 60 black and white photographs a persona, Roger the Rat is created by Ballen, that is fundamentally archetypal even mythological, a half human, half animal character that has the capability to profoundly lodge itself in the …