Helen Dahm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Helen Dahm | |
 Artist |
|
| Born | May 21, 1878 Kreuzlingen, Switzerland |
| Died | May 24, 1968 Männedorf, Switzerland |
| Field | Painter |
| Movement | Expressionism |
Helen Dahm (May 21, 1878 – May 24, 1968) was a Swiss artist.
Helen Dahm was born in Egelshofen (today Kreuzlingen), Switzerland. She studied art in Zurich and Munich. Her early work included hand-colored, hand-pressed fabric prints, mostly expressionistic in style. In the early 1930s, Helen suffered from severe depression and did very little art. However, a meeting with Meher Baba in Cannes, France in 1937 had a profound effect on her work and mood. In 1938, by invitation of Meher Baba, Dahm came to live in Meher Baba'a asharam in Meherabad and painted the interior murals in his would-be tomb that had been completed that year.[1] Her paintings are still viewable there. They were restored by American artist Dot Lesnik in 1989. For health reasons Dahm eventually returned to her homeland of Switzerland.
After this period, Dahm's work took an inspired religious turn, becoming occupied with imagery including expressionistic interpretations of paradise, the Pietà, the crucifixion of Christ and angels. After this period her work became increasingly abstract.
Helen Dahm only received recognition late in life. In 1967, she had her first major retrospective exhibition in Switzerland.[2]
