Exhibition Sanyu, the line at work

The exhibition Sanyu, la ligne à l'œuvre is presented at the Musée départemental des arts asiatiques in Nice, from February 15 to June 15, 2025. A (re)discovery of a major contemporary artist.

Exhibition Sanyu, la ligne à l’oeuvre = the line at work

The Musée départemental des Arts asiatiques offers a comprehensive overview of the work of Chinese artist Sanyu.
A hundred of his drawings and paintings are on show, alongside works by Picasso, Foujita and Matisse, who follow the same pictorial approach. Visitors thus enter the heart of the fermenting world of modern art.

The museum also offers a number of guided tours of the exhibition. See the official website at the bottom of the page, Practical information.

Sanyu

Sanyu (Zhang Yu or Chang Yu, 1895-1966) is the most French of contemporary Chinese artists. Indeed, he lived in Paris, notably in Montparnasse, where he was in contact with artists such as Matisse. And, apart from a few trips, he never left the Paris region.
He studied art, initially in China. But Sanyu needed creative freedom. He admired Foujita, Picasso and Matisse.
At the same time, he moved on from drawing to engraving and painting. His inspiration came from the female nude, which he treated almost as calligraphy. His landscapes become wild and mysterious.
The artist does not confine himself to representing reality, but seeks out, innovates and reinvents the real. He is not interested in depth or volume.
Sanyu is one of the great masters of traditional Chinese art, which he helped to evolve, unless he is a great master of Western art, to which he brought his modernist vision.
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Practical information

Musée des arts asiatiques
405, promenade des Anglais
06200 NICE

Access
Tram line 2, Parc Phoenix stop
Buses 620, 621 Parc Phoenix stop
12+ La Vallière/Promenade stop

Every day except Tuesday.
From September 1 to June 30, 10am to 5pm
and from July 1 to August 31, 10am to 6pm

Official website

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Informations Côte d'Azur

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  Jean-Marc Foulquier