From the early 1970s Japanese-American artist Masami Teraoka adopted the traditional visual vocabulary of 17th–19th century Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints to comment on the world around him. These included reflections on contemporary themes such as globalisation, collisions between Asian and western cultures, and the AIDS crisis. Inspired notably by kabuki theatre prints and the ukiyo-e genres of bijin-ga (beautiful women), yūrei-zu (ghosts, demons and supernatural beings), and shunga (erotic prints), Teraoka created dramatic compositions rich in symbolism.