Born in Paris in 1937, Alain Bonnefoit is an acclaimed nude artist, his trademark female nudes reflecting both Western and Eastern artistic influences. Bonnefoit studied at L’École des Arts Appliqués and L’École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the Engraving and Sculpture Department in the early 1950s. Upon graduation, Bonnefoit found himself working with the famous sculptor VOLTI(1915-89), a student of Auguste Rodin, who was influenced by the unique style of the elegantly characterized feminine form. Although Bonnefoit’s works was an excellent portrayal of Western artistic expression in Italy, a sense of unfulfillment led him to the world of Zen as a student of Japanese Sumi-e masters. Through the study of Eastern thoughts methods in Japan, he brought out the essence of very original artistic expression of Sumi-e. Bonnefoit is now not only a recognized master of the technique of Sumi-e, but also of the use of oil paintings, watercolors, lithographs, and sculptures for creating his signature style of the female figures.