A French abstract and figurative painter, born at Couterne in Normandy. He moved in 1921 to Paris, where he first worked as apprentice to an architect and then began to paint in 1923. Hélion was self-taught, and since 1925 has painted full-time. He began by paintingstill lifes, portraits and landscapes, his work gradually becoming more and more abstract. He painted in an entirely abstract style from 1929-39; became a member of the Groupe Art Concret in 1929 and co-founder and member of Abstraction-Création 1931-4.