Andy Warhol was born in Pennsylvania in 1928, and lived there until 1949 when he moved to New York City. It was years later, in 1956, when Warhol took his first trip abroad. He traveled mid-June through mid-August of that year, taking his first steps outside the United States in Tokyo, Japan. On the seven-week journey that followed, he visited a number of countries throughout Asia, an experience that impacted his work for the duration of his career. (Matt Wrbican in Adman: Warhol Before Pop at page 67.) 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.

During his journey, 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. (Id.)