Jean Joseph Sanfourche (b. 1932) was born in Bordeaux, France. He was initiated into drawing by his father, a mechanic and painter/draftsman. The family was later arrested by the Gestapo during the Second World War. His father was shot, but fortunately the child and his mother were released and sent to Limoges. Placed in the care of a guardian, the adolescent studied accountancy.

When he came of age he settled in Paris and became technical director of a textile factory before being appointed head of a ready-to-wear clothes factory. He eventually abandoned the industrial sector and worked in administration, notably at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before returning to the Limoges region, where he still lives.

A versatile artist, Jean Joseph Sanfourche draws, paints, writes, sculpts in stone and wood and works in enamel and bronze. He also employs unusual materials such as flints or human bones, which he carves and then paints with tiny, colourful figures.