Born in New York City in 1923, Silverman moved to New Orleans to study medicine at Tulane University. He received a bachelor's degree and a medical degree and went on to pursue a career as a urologist. After working for three decades as a respected physician, Silverman began creating sculptures in the 1970s. He never intended to pursue two careers. So he left medicine and began pursuing art full-time. He started by carving wood and turned to sculpture after being inspired by his friends, the famed sculptor Enrique Alferez and Newcomb College art professor Jules Struppeck.

Ultimately, Silverman created more than 400 metal sculptures, ranging from 60-foot stainless steel installations to creations just inches high. Many of them are based on the tetrahedron, a shape with four triangular faces.

His sculptures have been installed at more than 30 public buildings in the New Orleans area, including the Tulane Law School and the A.B. Freeman School of Business, East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, the Entergy Centre on Poydras Street and Temple Sinai on St. Charles Avenue.