Endemic Hawaiian Marine Life Becomes Art With Gyotaku Printing

In Hawaii fishing is an integral part of daily life, and has been since the first Polynesians landed their canoes. Today the islands are world renowned as a fishermen's paradise, due to ideal conditions and a large quantity of endemic, or native fish species. The Hawaiian island chain is the most remote location in the world, as it is the farthest place away from any other land mass. Due to Hawaii's isolation approximately 62% of local marine species are endemic, or native to the islands. Most of the aquatic life caught in these waters ends up on peoples dinner plates...but not before they become art as gyotaku fish prints!

Gyotaku (pronounced gee-oh-tac-ooh) is an Oriental form of fish printing, that originated during the 1800's. In famous fishing locals, such as Japan and Hawaii, gyotaku is still used as an artistic method of documenting the size and girth of a prized catch. Like a "fish tale" for the eyes, gyotaku fish prints create a memento of the event for years to come!

In Japanese Gyo=Fish, and Taku=Imprint, therefore traditional Gyotaku uses freshly caught fish and other marine life to create unique imprints on paper and cloth. The "subject" is recorded for posterity, then ready to eat, as gyotaku uses non-toxic inks and paints to create one-of-a-kind imprints.

In ancient times Hawaii's coast were home to numerous fishponds, villages and reservoirs for the collecting salt. The ancient Hawaiians had an intimate connection with nature, as they believed that humanity is intricately tied to both the aina (land) and the moana (ocean). The Kumulipo is the Hawaiian chant of creation, which says that all life began in the sea, beginning with a coral polyp. The Kumulipo describes Hawaii not as islands in the sea, but rather as a sea of islands.

The entire archipelago is comprised of hundreds of islands and atolls, spead out over 1,500 miles. The eight main islands are Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Kaho'olawe and Ni'ihau. The topographical layout of the Hawaiian coasts offers fishermen and divers an underwater playground that is teaming with endemic fish. Approximately 30% of fish, 20% of mollusks, 20% of the corals, and 18% of the algae found in Hawaiian waters are native to the islands.

Traditionally gyotaku imprints were made using rice paper and a carbon-based sumi ink. Today modern gyotaku is printed on a variety of paper and cloth materials, and artists often substitute non-toxic acrylic in place of the traditional sumi ink. There are two methods to gyotaku printing, with the most common being the "direct" method. The fish is painted/inked, and paper or cloth is pressed and rubbed over the fish, to create a life like imprint. Modern day artists may also use colored pencils, stains and paints, to enhance detail and create colorful renditions of the original species. Collage art, or the layering of papers and cut-outs, is giving modern day gyotaku multi-colored, textured, and layered effects.

Most gyotaku is created using freshly caught fish or other marine life, but can also be created using cuttings from plants and trees. Bamboo and tropical flowers are a very popular specimen for Hawaiian gyotaku. Meanwhile some prints are created using rubber animal replicas made specifically for the gyotaku process. The sea turtle is a common gyotaku made from a rubber replica, as the sea turtle is an endangered species.

Marine-related tourism is a mainstay to Hawaii's economy. About 5 million people travel to Hawaii each year to relax on the beach and explore the ocean. Hawaii has become a creative hot spot for gyotaku, finding a niche in prints of fish that are native to the archipelago. These native fish prints stand out as distinctly Hawaiian Gyotaku, making the islands an ideal place to find one-of-a-kind prints.