In 1921, Sanyu was among many Chinese artists who lefthis homeland to travel abroad to learn foreign ways. InParis he enrolled at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière,where he delved into the world of sketching nudes fromlive models. Drawing on his training in Chinese calligraphy,his ink drawings are characterized by a unique curvilinearcertainty and fluidity. He started to paint in oil in 1929, underthe direction of author and art collector Henri-Pierre Roché.In contrast to his drawing, here he preferred to referenceimages or memories from his youth and his rich culturalheritage. After World War II. he traveled to New York, wherehe became roommates and close friends with the Swissphotographer Robert Frank, and became influenced by theNew York School. While he did not embrace abstraction, heborrowed elements that are evident in a diversified colorpalette. Sanyu returned to Paris in 1950, where his life wascharacterized by hopeful but false starts and debilitatingfailures. This catalogue raisonné is the first publication thatincludes all of his known oil paintings to date.

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