Hicken was born in Invercargill. He is largely self-taught and lives and works in Christchurch. He has collaborated with Dunedin artist Ralph Hotere in the past, making the distinctive frames for many of Hotere’s ‘sash window’ works.

Made from weathered lathwood, taken from the lath and plaster walls of what is now the Under the Red Verandah café in Christchurch. Hicken likes to work with salvaged materials and to explore their expressive possibilities. There is a subtlety and softness to the shades and texture of the lathwood that he has used here to great effect.

Roger’s works are in many private collections and in the Christchurch Art Gallery collection.