Helen Stewart Archive

Helen Stewart (1900 – 1983) was a prominent New Zealand modernist painter who had a lasting impact on the art scenes of both Australia and New Zealand. Born in Wellington in 1900, she lived and trained in Sydney, Australia from 1928 to 1946 and travelled extensively for further training in London, and Paris.

Stewart is known to have trained at the Académie Colarossi, Académie de la Grande Chaumière, Sydney Art School, and at André Lhote's atelier. Active in numerous contemporary art groups during this period, Stewart exhibited widely, notably in major modernist galleries in Sydney. After returning to New Zealand in 1946, she continued to exhibit her work, primarily in Wellington, until her passing in 1983.

This archive features an extensive selection of sketchbooks, preparatory sketches, painting studies, along with a curated selection of art books and ephemera from Helen Stewart's extensive personal collection, accumulated over her lifetime and career. These items illuminate Stewart’s exhibition history, educational influences, travels, and their impact on her artistic practice.