A longtime instructor at the Joshibi University of Art and Design, she served as the school's president from 2007 to 2011.
Sano was born Nui Sakaki (Japanese: 佐々木 ぬい) in Hirosaki, Japan, in 1932.
[1][2][3][4] Her family owned a sweets shop and a tearoom, where she was exposed to gatherings of classical musicians, writers, and painters.
[1] Sano pursued a career as a painter, moving beyond representational art and into abstract, rhythmic, colorful forms.
[2] Fascinated by the West from a young age, having seen French films and heard French poetry growing up, she traveled abroad to Europe, North Africa, and the United States to pursue further studies.