The Cloisters/Venus and Pope's Workout

Masami Teraoka's Nine Triptych Series has been the artist's ongoing, major project. It focuses on current social, cultural and historical issues such as same sex marriage, gay right, humanity, sexuality v celibacy, Catholic clergy sexual abuse and institutional hypocrisy. The Nine Triptych Series concept initially evolved in the early 90's.

The artist's vision has been to explore the subject on Catholic priests sex abuse history and culture in depth. Investigating profound Catholic clergy sex abuse's historical scandals and the aspect of the institutionalized cultural flaw has become a life time challenge for me. The thematic concern has touched human right v authoritative institutional power that had stemmed from the various cultural historical background in secularism society. The Nine Triptych Series' basic investigation and personal understanding are to bring out all about humanity vision v authoritative vision on the various levels of cultural and social structures.

Especially in contemporary society media oriented transparent culture is pitted against perhaps one of the most secretive institutions the Vatican. Currently a few more of the large triptychs series are still in progress in my studio in Hawaii.

- MT