Representing the pinnacle of American abstract painting, Sam Francis made indelible contributions to Action Painting. His mastery lay in interpreting light and lines, underscored by a diverse array of influences ranging from New York Abstract Expressionism to color field painting, Eastern philosophies, and French Impressionism. Rooted in the Bay Area, his eclectic background enriched his artistic oeuvre, defining him as a luminary of his time.

In 2023, marking Sam Francis's centenary, the Sam Francis Foundation collaborated with important galleries to commemorate the occasion through exhibitions, educational activities, special projects, articles, and archival explorations, evoking memories of the vibrant artist's life. In April 2023, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) held a three-month exhibition titled "Sam Francis and Japan: Emptiness Overflowing," showcasing over 60 works. On September 16 of the same year, the Anderson Collection at Stanford University in California staged a solo exhibition titled "Sam Francis Centennial" to honor the artist's 100th birthday, extending till March 3, 2024. As 2024 marks the thirtieth anniversary of Francis's passing, retrospection on his legacy becomes poignant. Sam Francis remains a beacon among 20th-century abstract expressionists, heralding a new era of American artistic prominence post-World War II.

Despite Francis's enthusiastic interactions with artists and writers from all over, he never formally joined any artistic groups, though his artistic style did share some connections with Art Informel. His lifelong love for Japanese art and culture began during a visit to Japan. In the 1950s and 1960s, Japan experienced what was known as the "Art Informel whirlwind," primarily sparked by the visits of three artists associated with Art Informel, including the Parisian art critic Michel Tapié, the French painter Georges Mathieu, and the American painter Sam Francis. A wave of enthusiasm for gestural abstraction swept through the Japanese art scene, juxtaposed with the concurrent movement of the Gutai group, reflecting and influencing each other. During his time in France, Francis had a close friendship with Walasse Ting, which deeply influenced both artists' work.

In Francis’ five marriages, he married two Japanese wives, which indicates his fondness for Japan. Additionally, Francis himself was an explorer of Jungian analysis and Zen spirituality. He tapped into the energy of the mind and dreams, and also learned from the Japanese tradition of viewing painting as a meditative experience. The Japanese aesthetic of "ma," which involves contemplating blank space, deeply appreciates the concepts of silence, emptiness, and the suspension of time, creating a sense of harmony and balance.After the middle of his career, his works retained more blank space, imbued with more blank space, imbued with more poetry and tranquility. He once explained the blank space in his paintings to the audience: "The space at the center of these paintings is reserved for you."

Francis was invited to create many large-scale mural works throughout his life. In 1956, he was commissioned to complete an abstract mural for the Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland; during his trip to Japan in 1957, he was invited to paint murals for the Sogetsu School; in 1959, he rented a studio in New York and began a mural for Chase Manhattan Bank, leaving behind many immortal mural works in Europe, such as the entrance hall of the Royal Mint Theatre in Brussels. Sam Francis enjoyed a prolific creative career, which included participation in the 32nd Venice Biennale in 1964 and the third Documenta in Kassel, as well as exhibitions in leading galleries and museums worldwide. His artistic achievements have garnered widespread recognition and acclaim. Today, major international museums proudly display Francis's works, including the Amsterdam Municipal Museum, the Beyeler Foundation in Basel, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Menil Foundation in Houston, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among others.