Nasce nel 1923 a San Mateo in California. Inizia gli studi in botanica, psicologia e medicina presso la University of California. Nel 1946, durante la lunga convalescenza che seguì all’incidente aereo che ebbe durante il periodo trascorso nell’Aereonautica Militare, inizia a dipingere. In seguito si laurea in pittura e storia dell’arte.
Nel 1950 si trasferisce a Parigi, dove presenta la sua prima esposizione personale presso la Galeri edu Dragon. Durante la sua vita viaggia in tutta Europa e in Giappone. Il primo museo ad ospitare una sua esposizione è la Kunsthalle di Berna, in Svizzera.
Nel 1984 fonda la Lapis Press che attualmente è una delle più importanti case editrici specializzate nelle arti visive e in filosofia, e dà vita a una fondazione dedicata alla ricerca e al sostegno della medicina alternativa.
Muore in California nel 1994.
Opere di Sam Francis si trovano nelle collezioni dei musei di tutto il mondo: The Museum of Contemporary Art a Los Angeles, The Museum of Modern Art a New York, National Gallery of Art a Washington D.C., The Museum of Modern Art a Shiga (Japan), Tate Gallery a Londra.
Sam Francis. The 70s - Jonathan Novak Contemporary At, Los Angeles, CA
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