Sanae left her hometown of Maebashi in 1977 to pursue her autodidactic art career. She debuted in a Paris gallery at 18. She later moved to Manhattan, New York City to gain more artistic freedom.

While visiting Japan from New York, she had her first exhibition at Sagacho Exhibit Space while still working under contract with a prominent West Side Gallery. This was Japan of the 1980s when Japanese Contemporary Art was blooming.

Sanae has continuously exhibited her artwork worldwide in galleries and museums in Krakow, Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York & Seattle.