the artist jose vermeersch (1922–1997) is known for his ceramic sculptures of heterogeneous figures. yet he was a painter, weaver and designer too, who created a rich oeuvre imbued with his passion for people, animals and life. this book pays tribute to the genesis of vermeersch’ figurative work and uses around a hundred sculptures and paintings to show the exceptional way in which his pictorial and his ceramic work are interwoven. the indeterminate and non-binary character of vermeersch’ oeuvre – from gender to species (human/animal) – is explored in depth along with ideas such as sustainability and fragility.