Masami Teraoka 寺岡 政美

With its graphic waves, cartouches with Japanese characters, and iconic woman, this print appears to be a traditional Japanese print, but that is a trick. The artist, Masami Teraoka, is using the Japanese print tradition to highlight contemporary ocean pollution caused by tourism. The woman clutching a mask and snorkel is a Japanese tourist. Travelers visiting coral reefs often accidentally harm the breathtaking ecosystem they’ve come to see. Tourists can fool themselves, much like Teraoka fools us here. Visiting the ocean appears harmless, but ecotourists can actually aid in its destruction.

–Sionan Guenther, associate registrar, digital resources