Helen Rae

Helen Rae (1938–2021) was a visionary American outsider artist who began creating art at age 50 at what is now Tierra del Sol Studio Art Program in Los Angeles. Deaf and non-verbal since birth, Helen found her voice through vivid colored-pencil and graphite drawings that transformed fashion magazine images into surreal, emotionally charged compositions. She reimagined models and garments with radiant color and dreamlike intensity, crafting a visual language all her own. Her work gained widespread recognition after her first solo show in 2015 at age 77.