He was born in 1923 in San Mateo, California. He began his studies in botany, psychology and medicine at the University of California. In 1946, during the long recovery that followed the plane crash he had during his career in the Military Aircraft, he began to paint. He later graduated in painting and art history.
In 1950 he moved to Paris, where he presented his first solo exhibition at Galerie du Dragon. During his life he travelled throughout Europe and Japan. The first museum to host his own show is the Kunsthalle in Bern, Switzerland.
In 1984 he founded the Lapis Press that is currently one of the largest publishing houses specializing in visual arts and philosophy, and gives rise to a foundation dedicated to research and support of alternative medicine.
He died in California in 1994.
Works by Sam Francis are in the collections of museums around the world: The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga (Japan ), the Tate Gallery in London.
Sam Francis. The 70s, Jonathan Novak Contemporary At, Los Angeles
Sam Francis: From Dusk to Dawn - Heather James Fine Art, Palm Desert, CA
Drawing, Dreaming and Desire: Works on Paper by Sam Francis - Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena, CA
Sam Francis: Prints - Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, TX
Sam Francis: Black - Galerie Koch, Hannover
Sam Francis - A Survey of Graphic Work - Bernard Jacobson Gallery - New York, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - A Survey Of Graphic Work - Bernard Jacobson Gallery - London, London
Sam Francis: Rapid Fluid Indivisible - Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte, NC
Sam Francis - Works on Paper from the 50's - Van de Weghe Fine Art, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
Sam Francis: Works on Paper and Editions 1957-1994 - Greenfield Sacks Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Sam Francis - Robert Green Fine Arts, Mill Valley, CA
Sam Francis - Œuvres sur papier - Galerie Fleury, Paris
Sam Francis: Five Decades of Abstract Expressionism from California Collections - Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
Sam Francis: Five Decades of Abstract Expressionism from California Collections - Pasadena Museum of California Art- PMCA, Pasadena, CA
Sam Francis - Perspectives Atmosphériques - Malingue, Paris
Sam Francis - Freedom Of Color - Galleria d'Arte Maggiore, Bologna
Freedom of color - Galleria d'Arte Maggiore, Bologna
Sam Francis - Works from the 1950's on paper and canvas - Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Sam francis - Agnellini Arte Moderna, Brescia
Sam Francis - Galleri MDA, Helsingborg
Sam Francis - Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Sam Francis | The Last Works - Jonathan Novak Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis - Gallery Artzone-Kaguraoka, Kyoto
Paintings and Works on Paper - Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis: Selected Paintings and Works on Paper - Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Sam Francis - Galerie Son, Berlin
Sam Francis - Color is light on fire - Galerie Thomas Modern, Munich
Sam Francis - Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Sam Francis - Prints 1975-1978 - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
SAM FRANCIS - Werke von 1958-1992 - Galerie Koch, Hannover
Sam Francis - Retrospective in Blue - Danubiana - Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava
Sam Francis - Galerie Proarta, Zurich
Sam Francis - Works on Paper - Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
Sam Francis: 1953 - 1959 - L&M Arts, New York, New York City, NY
Sam Francis: Malerei und Grafik - Samuelis Baumgarte Galerie, Bielefeld
Sam Francis - Smith Andersen North, San Anselmo, CA
Sam Francis: Works from 1957 to 1965 - American Contemporary Art Gallery, Munich
Ölbilder, Gouachen und Aquarlle 1950-1970 - Galerie Proarta, Zurich
Sam Francis - Galerie Proarta, Zurich
Sam Francis: Black + White - Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis - Galerie Lovers of Fine Art, Gstaad
Sam Francis, "Lithographies et aquatintes 1960-1989" - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis und Bern - Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern
Sam Francis - Graphik der Jahre 1960-1990 - Galerie Kornfeld und Cie., Bern
Unique Works and Important Prints 1957-1989 - Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
SamFrancis Works On Paper - Rosenbaum Contemporary, Boca Raton, FL
Sam Francis - The unknown works from the 1990 - Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Sam Francis - American Contemporary Art Gallery, Munich
Sam Francis - Ohara Museum of Art, Kurashiki
Paintings, Works on Paper and Important Prints 1957-1989 - Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
Remembering Sam Francis 1923 - 1994 - Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Sam Francis - Galerie Proarta, Zurich
Sam Francis - American Contemporary Art Gallery, Munich
Sam Francis - Galerie Thomas Modern, Munich
Material Collagen - Sam Francis - Galerie Thomas, Munich
Sam Francis - Gallery Artzone-Kaguraoka, Kyoto
Sam Francis - Frühe Bilder - Baukunst Galerie, Cologne
Sam Francis - Prototypes - Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Sam Francis - Broadbent Gallery, London
Sam Francis - Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Sam Francis from the Idemitsu Collection - Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT), Tokyo
Sam Francis - Works on Paper from the 1950s - Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - L’œuvre gravé - Musée d'art et d'histoire, Fribourg
SAM FRANCIS in Köln - Galerie Boisserée, Cologne
Sam Francis - Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Sam Francis from the Idemitsu Collection - Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art, Sakura, Chiba
Colour is Fire (Sam Francis: Original Artworks from 1964 - 1990) - Rudolf Budja Galerie / Artmosphere Wien, Vienna
Sam Francis - Galerie Thomas, Munich
Sam Francis - Works on paper - 1955-1990 - Galerie Pudelko, Bonn
Sam Francis - Brian Gross Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
Sam Francis - Galleria Rubin, Milan
Sam Francis - Retrospektive 1949-1994 - Galerie Proarta, Zurich
Sam Francis - Broadbent Gallery, London
Sam Francis - A new Selection from the 1950s and 1960s - American Contemporary Art Gallery, Munich
Sam Francis - Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris
Sam Francis - Galleria Rubin, Milan
Sam Francis - Bilder der 60er Jahre - Baukunst Galerie, Cologne
Aquatints and Works on Paper - Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis - Paintings & Works on Paper from the Early 60s - Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - The Edge - Richard Gray Gallery - Chicago, Chicago, IL
Sam Francis - The Edge - Richard Gray Gallery - New York, New York City, NY
Sam Francis. Pinturas 1947-1990 - Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid
Sam Francis - Prints and Drawings - Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Malmö Konsthall, Malmö
Sam Francis - Paintings & Works on Paper from the 50s - Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Retrospektive 1953-1992 - Galerie Proarta, Zurich
Sam Francis - Letzte Werke - Letzte Bilder und Papierarbeiten - Galerie Gabriele von Loeper, Hamburg
Sam Francis - American Contemporary Art Gallery, Munich
Sam Francis: Paintings 1947-1990 - The Menil Collection, Houston, TX
Sam Francis - Lithographien und Unikate - galerie pro arte, Freiburg
The Spirit of Blue - Baukunst Galerie, Cologne
Sam Francis - Manny Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
SAM FRANCIS - THE LAST WORKS - Galleri Faurschou - Copenhagen, Copenhagen
Sam Francis: "Edges 1962-1970" - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis: Paintings 1947-1990 - The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Los Angeles, CA
paintings and works on paper 1949-1994 - Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Sam Francis: The Relationship of Drawings - Greenfield Sacks Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Sam Francis - Blue Forms: 1959-1961 - Richard Gray Gallery - New York, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Blue Forms: 1959-1961 - Richard Gray Gallery - Chicago, Chicago, IL
Sam Francis: Works from the 50s and 60s - American Contemporary Art Gallery, Munich
Sam Francis - Museo d'Arte Mendrisio, Mendrisio
Sam Francis - Galerie Proarta, Zurich
Sam Francis - les années parisiennes 1950 - 1961 - Jeu de Paume, Paris
Sam Francis - Richard Gray Gallery - Chicago, Chicago, IL
Sam Francis - Manny Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis, "In Memoriam: Selected Works," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Richard Gray Gallery - Chicago, Chicago, IL
Sam Francis, "Recent Paintings on Paper," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Galerie Proarta, Zurich
Sam Francis - Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Sam Francis: Nudes, Portraits and New Editions - Greenfield Sacks Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Un cabinet bleu por Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis: 1964-1979 - Manny Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis - Greenfield Sacks Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Sam Francis - Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn
Sam Francis - Works 1965-1991 - Kukje Gallery, Seoul
Sam Francis, "Monotypes and Prints," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Centre Régional d’Art contemporain Midi-Pyrénées, Labege
Sam Francis - Gana Art Gallery, Seoul
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis, "Paintings on Paper: 1956-1964," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis, "New Paintings on Paper," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo
Sam Francis, "New Paintings," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis: 1959-64 - Manny Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis, "New Paintings," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis, "The Early Years: 1955-1963," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis, "New Paintings on Paper," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Richard Gray Gallery - Chicago, Chicago, IL
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis - Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Sam Francis, "New Work," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis, "Painting on Paper," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Sam Francis - Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul
Sam Francis, "New Paintings," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Monotypes - Richard Gray Gallery - Chicago, Chicago, IL
Sam Francis, "New Monotypes, - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
Sam Francis, "Recent Works," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Los Angeles County Museum of Art - LACMA, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis - Riko Mizuno Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis, "New Paperworks," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis, "Recent Paintings," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis, Peintures Recentes 1976-1978 - Centre Pompidou - Musée National d´Art Moderne, Paris
Sam Francis - Nicholas Wilder Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis - Large-Scale Lithographs - Margo Leavin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis, "New Paintings and Works on Paper," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Richard Gray Gallery - Chicago, Chicago, IL
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis, "New Works on Paper," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis: Retrospective of Prints - Margo Leavin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis, "New Paintings," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis Paintings 1947–1972 - Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
Sam Francis: paintings, 1947-1972 - Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, NY
Sam Francis, "Works on Paper," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Sam Francis: Paintings 1947-1972 - The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Sam Francis: paintings, 1947-1972 - Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Sam Francis, "New Paintings," - André Emmerich Gallery, New York City, NY
Paintings and Gouaches by Sam Francis - Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Sam Francis – Lithographs - Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Norman, OK
Sam Francis - Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Sam Francis: Drawings and Prints - San Francisco Museum of Modern Art - SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA
Sam Francis - Galerie nächst St. Stephan - Rosemarie Schwarzwälder, Vienna
Sam Francis - Galerie Schmela, Dusseldorf
Sam Francis - Moderna Museet, Stockholm
Sam Francis - Kunsthalle Bern, Bern
Sam Francis - Galerie Schmela, Dusseldorf
Sam Francis - Galerie Rive Droite, Paris