Film
Sanyu is widely regarded as one of the most important Chinese artists of the twentieth century and the only member of his generation of Paris-trained Chinese artists to truly enter the core of the Western art world. Today, demand for his work is intense, and his auction record surpassed RMB 270 million in 2019. Behind that rise stands more than thirty years of research and advocacy by Yi Shufan, whose work has been essential to Sanyu's rediscovery.
This 2024 film approaches Sanyu’s rediscovery through Rita Wong’s sustained research and advocacy. It draws attention to the work of study, documentation and communication that helps an artist be understood after his lifetime. The original film is retained. Related features on floral collections and collectors’ homes offer further contexts for encountering Sanyu’s works alongside other artists and within everyday viewing experiences.
Sanyu is widely regarded as one of the most important Chinese artists of the twentieth century and the only member of his generation of Paris-trained Chinese artists to truly enter the core of the Western art world. Today, demand for his work is intense, and his auction record surpassed RMB 270 million in 2019. Behind that rise stands more than thirty years of research and advocacy by Yi Shufan, whose work has been essential to Sanyu's rediscovery.