Helen Rae

Statement

Born in 1938, Helen Rae lives and works in Claremont California. Helen has been creating art since 1990 at First Street Gallery and Art Center, a progressive art studio for adults with developmental disabilities.

Her drawings, in colored pencil and graphite, are immediately striking for their vivid imagery, resonant use of color and innovative reworking of source material. Using fashion advertisements as a point of departure for otherworldly journeys into the subconscious, Helen transforms the original images into something uniquely expressive, which possess a strange beauty and power.

Helen had her first sold out solo exhibition at The Good Luck Gallery in 2015 and in 2017 received her first New York solo exhibition at White Columns. Helen’s work has also been included in numerous group exhibitions throughout the United States, Scotland, Belgium, Japan and Paris and has been featured in Vogue, The Los Angeles Times, and Vulture among others.


Disability

Helen Rae is deaf and nonverbal. She communicates with limited sign language, writing, and gestures. Helen creates her work at First Street Gallery Art Center, a progressive art studio for adults with developmental disabilities.

Untitled (August 28 2014) Untitled (November 3 2014) Untitled (May 29 2015) Untitled (July 29 2015)

Untitled (August 28 2014)
2014
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"

Untitled (November 3 2014)
2014
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"
Untitled (May 29 2015)
2015
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"
Untitled (July 29 2015)
2015
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"

Untitled (January 27 2016) Untitled (May 18 2016) Untitled (June 15 2016) Untitled (August 10 2016)
Untitled (January 27 2016)
2016
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"
Untitled (May 18 2016)
2016
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"

Untitled (June 15 2016)
2016
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"
Untitled (August 10 2016)
2016
colored pencil/graphite on paper
24" x 18"