Doris Herrmann was born deaf in 1933 near Basel, Switzerland, and later became blind. As a child, she was fascinated by kangaroos, a fascination that has lasted throughout her life. As soon as she could, she travelled to Australia repeatedly, eventually becoming a respected researcher on the behaviour of her beloved marsupials. Along with this pursuit, she has also been active as a creative artist, producing numerous sculptures, water-colour paintings and works for textile prints.