Interview with Masami Teraoka
Q: You primarily work with triptychs, what brought you to that medium?
A: While I was a high school student in Japan, my relative had given me a book of Renaissance art. This was during World War II. After I had learnt history of Renaissance art, Catholic Church’s rituals and rules and the clergy’s sexual abuse issue became the focus of the triptych, specifically how priests and nuns have to behave about sexuality. [It was] so strict that I was shocked. In the overall view, I didn’t get it.
Q: Many of our patrons ask about the gold embellishments around the edges of the triptychs. What's your process for applying it? What does it represent to you?
A: [Learning to use it] took me a while, I had to get used to handling the gold leaf on the panels. Initially, overwhelming rigidness is the rigidness of the framework. Contrasting this rigid institutionalized frame set the pace to juxtaposing current social, historical, cultural and political issues. Once you get inside the triptych frame you are released to freedom discussion that starts and bumping against the rigid structure. Either way positive or negative meaning that may mean. The triptych frames set the pace of a wrestling match setting.
The gold leaf frames have two meanings to me: Overwhelmingly beautiful or tackiness. Of the gold leaf itself, gold leaf frames [reflect] filthy rich Catholic Churches as rigid institutions. It could mean almost tackiness for one of the most secretive institutions in the world.
Q: All of your triptychs on view at the Schneider Museum of Art have art on the inner and outer panels. Do the pieces interact with each other? Do you want them to?
A: Usually the main open panels start the painting. The back side should be finished later. Subject matters are updated on the back side if needed because the triptychs need a lot of time to evolve.
Q: We have your Pussy Riot series on view right now. What was your experience working with Russian protest group Pussy Riot?
A: While the team was here, I was too busy with my own show then that I was not able to hang out that much. But I was happy the team were all seriously working on their rehearsals. Their vision for democracy is on the same page [and] worked out well. With the local, mainland performers for The Tempest directed by Viktoria Naraxsa. The Tempest turned out to be such [an] intense art performance. They had another performance called, if I’m not mistaken, Emercing Performance where the audience became the performers.
Q: Are there any moments that stick out in your memory from that time?
A: When they wanted to swim in Hawaii, they wanted to swim without bras. The local performers freaked out, no, no, you cannot do that here. They were so astonished. So I realized Russian[s] are [a] more advanced, free country. Haaa ha ha!
Q: There's some Japanese script in the background of Pussy Riot Kubie Series/Putin Me On. Why did you choose to include it?
A: [There's a] calligraphic narrative that goes with the concept of the paintings [in the series]. I have spent a good two decades decoding Edo-style calligraphy. It is so beautiful. And when I could read Edo period narrative[s], I [felt] like I was talking with Edo period people. Their expressions are so exquisite.
Q: A lot of patrons are curious about the two suns on the outside panels of the same piece. Is there a story behind that symbol?
A: (NOTE: Teraoka was in Japan when the atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima during WWII)
I did research on how far away from Hiroshima [we were when] standing in my home town Onomichi. [It was] approximately 45 - 50 miles away. If I’m standing at Diamond Head looking toward the Waianae coast, that is about 45 miles away. Close enough but no radiation issue had invaded my hometown. My uncle was in the midst of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. He was hit by the bomb pressure.
[When the 2018 false missile warning in Hawaii happened,] we had only 15 minutes to prepare for evacuation from the attack!!! We had tried to evacuate to the church nearby us but when we got there the door was locked. So we chose to evacuate to this grocery store five blocks away.
In my memory, I said myself "Not Again, oh, s..." I cannot believe to go through the atomic bomb twice? After the false alarm was sent out to us, I started to think this is the time for me to talk about the two suns. This triggered the two suns series. My sister (11) and I, (9) were so mesmerized about the two suns rising from the east and the west. The sun rising from the west was the atomic bomb.
I never had imagined I would paint this vision that had been etched in my brain but the flawed warning siren came out on my birthday!!! So I uttered oh, s….! No way!!! I cannot die on my birthday? The red melting color of the two suns are related to melting tiles hotness degree with 1,200 degree temperature of the atomic bomb.
Q: On the topic of symbols, I've heard that the use of bats and the Titanic in your art is a reference to the COVID-19 pandemic. How did that come to be?
A: The Titanic boat was designed as an unsinkable boat. Human error could change the direction of the boat either to sustain as a lovely party boat or unthinkable sinking boat. Or a fatal sinking boat. There are a few choices for life's meaning.
Q: Your art does a wonderful job of embracing the modern and the historical. That choice feels very intentional, can you tell us about it?
A: [I like] looking at my work conceptually and try to capture the spirit of a daily life, even in historical contexts. This is the very spirit of Ukiyo-e print and aesthetic. Something from Japan I could share. Personally, I grew up with these Ukiyo-e prints in my family.
Thank you Masami for your time! We appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the symbolism and materials that go into creating your work. Masami Teraoka's work will be on show at the Schneider Museum of Art until March 23rd. Visit us before then to see all the pieces mentioned in this interview!
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