🐟 ​ ​After training with traditional Japanese masters, Masami Teraoka moved to Los Angeles to study Western art in 1961. His work combines the influences of traditional Japanese art forms and American Pop art, exploring the tension between this traditional style and the contemporary themes which are central in his art. ​ The artist said: ‘Mere depiction of social and cultural issues is not enough. My work has to create something that goes beyond simple perception. To make a strong statement, art needs timeless aesthetic qualities. These can take any subject matter to a higher level of experience. That is the essence of what I am pursuing.’ ​Masami Teraoka, Catfish Envy 1993