Temple

A unique drawing by Andy Warhol.

In 1956, accompanied by his friend and fellow artist Charles Lisanby, Andy Warhol took his first trip abroad. He traveled mid-June through mid-August of that year. His first steps on foreign soil were in Tokyo. On the seven-week journey, he visited a number of countries throughout Asia, an experience that impacted his work for the duration of his career [1]. His drawings from this trip, influenced by his experiences in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Bali, Singapore, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Kolkata, New Delhi, Colombo, and Siem Reap, show clearly how these new cultures impacted him and his need to record his travels.

Warhol was not only taken with the sights and the people he encountered, although this fascination is evident in the drawings. Some drawings capture Warhol’s attempts to re-create characters in various languages. He was also captivated by the colors he saw, especially gold in the temples. It was this experience that led him to return to the United States and create works in gold leaf [1].

Japan had a particular impact on Warhol; he returned there in 1974 for a solo exhibition introducing his works to a Japanese audience. (The retrospective took place at the Daimaru Department Store in Tokyo.) Warhol went on to create a suite of flower prints in 1983, called “Kiku”, depicting the chrysanthemum (the flower representing the Japanese Emperor/Imperial power).