Simon Hantaï, born in 1922 in Biatorbágy, Hungary, settled in Paris in 1948 after fleeing the communist regime. Quickly becoming part of the French art scene, he established himself as one of the most innovative figures in post-war painting. Trained at the Budapest Academy of Fine Arts, he was initially drawn to Surrealism and joined André Breton's circle, exploring automatism and the unconscious as driving forces of creation.

From the early 1960s, Hantaï underwent a decisive shift by developing the folding technique, which would become his signature. By folding, knotting, or crumpling the canvas before painting it, and then unfolding it, he revealed fragmented and unpredictable forms, where painted areas interacted with the white spaces. This process, both rigorous and open to chance, reflects a desire for the artist to efface himself in favor of the painting itself.

Deeply imbued with spirituality, philosophical thought, and religious references, his work transforms abstraction into an inner, contemplative experience. Through major series, Simon Hantaï radically renewed the language of painting and had a lasting influence on contemporary abstraction. Recognized during his lifetime by the most prestigious institutions, he remains one of the essential painters of the 20th century.