Born in Berlin in 1931, Myriam Bat-Yosef spent her childhood between Europe and the Middle East before moving to Paris in 1952, where she studied at the École des Beaux-Arts. Initially trained in a more traditional approach to painting, she gradually developed a language influenced by Surrealism, mysticism, and her interest in the relationship between art and the body. In 1956, she met the Icelandic artist Erró, with whom she became connected to the Parisian avant-garde scene.
Bat-Yosef became associated with Surrealism's ideas through her exploration of dreams, readings of the Kabbalah, and spiritual interest in Taoism. Working across painting, objects, and performance, she used vivid colors and hybrid forms to question boundaries between the physical and the imaginary. In the 1960s, she expanded her practice to include painted objects and bodies, creating performances that explored identity, sexuality, and the relationship between art and life.