In the past, there have been plenty of Japanese artists who have sought inspiration and studied overseas, but few who fully embraced their adopted land and became successful.
Muramasa Kudo is one of those artists fortunate enough to achieve enviable popularity outside of his native Japan. In 1980, aged 32, he moved to America — and he has lived abroad ever since. His colorful resume includes everything from race car driving to restaurant design. In Japan, however, his training was in traditional calligraphy.
When he moved to America, Kudo was one of the few artists who asserted a "Japaneseness" when most were focusing on developing and emulating Western techniques. It was that assertion and his ability to blend Japanese artistic techniques with a Western sensibility that made his work popular.