The Founders
Michel Postel: A Lifelong Passion for India
Born in Biarritz, Michel Postel could have followed a traditional business path after his studies. But destiny had other plans. In the late 1940s, he traveled to India — and it was love at first sight. There, he founded one of the first Indo-French pharmaceutical companies: Franco-Indian Pharmaceuticals.
More than business, it was Indian culture that captivated him. Alongside a team of researchers, he created an ambitious archaeological and cultural project: Franco-Indian Art Research. They explored and restored major sites — including the now UNESCO-listed Queen’s Stepwell in Patan (Gujarat).
A visionary and avid art collector, Michel Postel began assembling extraordinary pieces from India, Nepal, Tibet and China.
In 2016, the Indian government awarded him the prestigious Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian art and archaeology.
Xintian Zhu: Art, Science and Heritage
Michel Postel met Xintian Zhu in the 1980s.
Born in Kunming (China), Xintian grew up in a family devoted to literature, science and the arts. Encouraged in her artistic pursuits, she later earned a PhD in East Asian Art and Archaeology at Sorbonne University (Paris IV), with a thesis on “Vyala in Indian Art” (1998).
A painter, calligrapher and photographer, she is also the curator of Musée Asiatica.
The Creation of Musée Asiatica
Between 1997 and 1999, Michel Postel and Xintian Zhu founded the museum, officially opening it in March 1999 in the presence of several cultural dignitaries, including:
– The French Minister of Culture, Mr. Douste-Blazy
– The Indian Ambassador to France, Mr. Kangal Sibal
– The Chinese Embassy’s Cultural Minister, Mrs. Hou Xianghua
– The Mayor of Biarritz, Mr. Didier Borotra