Gilot was a post-war artist who was amongst those who redefined the European art scene. Her first exhibition was with the famous Kahnweiler’s Galerie Louis Leiris in 1952.

In 1943 she met Pablo Picasso and became his muse and partner till 1953. They had two children Claude and Paloma.

In 1969 she met the polio vaccine pioneer Dr Jonas Salk and they married the next year. Dr Salk visited Hyderabad a few times on the invitation of the eminent scientist Dr PM Bhargava, who established the Regional Research Laboratory in Hyderabad. Gilot accompanied her husband, becoming friendly with Hyderabad artists like Vidya Bhushan and Laxma Goud. When Bhushan held his shows in Los Angeles they met again.