Gyotaku Fish Prints

ANCIENT ART OF GYOTAKU
Gyotaku is a Japanese fish printing art created by warlords in the early 1800’s. The warlords used rice paper and natural berry inks to preserve the exact sizes of their catch. They would compete with each other and needed a way to record the fish as well being able to honor the fish itself. At first the rubbing was done with just one color strictly to record size and species, but at a later date it evolved as an art form with many colored inks and paper.

ART ON THE BEACH
The fish is laid out on the beach at the end of the fishing day in Costa Rica, Panama, Galapagos or Tahiti and brushed with a non toxic acrylic paint. It is then rubbed it onto a high quality paper. After the printing, the fish is washed off, filleted and consumed. The paper is dried and rolled for storage or sale. Some details such as eyes and signature are added later in the studio.