寺冈政美 (日本，1936年生)

Born and raised in Japan, Masami Teraoka moved to the United States in 1961 after studying art at the Kwansai Gakuin University in Kobe, Japan. Inspired by his bicultural background, Teraoka addresses contemporary socio-political issues across borders while grounding his work in Japanese culture, either through the use of ukiyo-e style of portraying the ‘floating world’ or the right to left narrative reminiscent of traditional Japanese scroll painting.

In Molokai Lookout Point/Writhing Giant Octopus Waves, Teraoka seems to draw inspiration from Hiroshige III’s Giant Octopus by Name Kawa and depicts the landscape of Oahu, where he moved after 18 years in LA. The perspective is flattened and the depth diminished, emulating a work done in the ukiyo-e fashion. The rocky outcroppings of the cliff reach out towards the ocean the way an octopus’s tentacles unfurl when it moves forward. Through this painting, Teraoka celebrates his current life as an American while acknowledging his Japanese heritage.