Hélène Perdriat (1894–1969) was born in La Rochelle, France. She was a painter. When she was 21, Perdriat became very ill with what was thought to be a life-threatening illness. She began painting and painted portraits of herself, her family, and her friends.[1] Following her recovery, she married Thorvald Hellesen, a Norwegian artist. The couple traveled to Oslo where she exhibited her paintings, which were well received.[1] Perdriat continued to exhibit in London, Berlin, New York,[2] Chicago, and Paris despite receiving no formal training. According to Andrea Geyer, she was known for having a distinct and personally poetic style. Her work is included in the Katherine Dreier Collection and other important collections.[3]
She also worked as set designer for the Ballets suédois, for example with the set for Marchand d'Oiseux 1923.[4]
Hélène painted animals, ships, and sailors, but always return to self-images, often incorporating her fantasy characters.[5]