Japanese fish printing is on the rise, odds are you’ve seen it more times than you remember. It can be found hanging on restaurant walls, t-shirts, and in man cave’s across the world.
The official name is - Gyotaku, which literally translates into “fish” (gyo) and “rubbing” (taku). It originates from mid 19th century Japan and over time evolved into a contemporary art form common today.
Before photography was widely available, fisherman's tales were nothing but folk lore. With the physical fish fileted and forgotten, angler’s everywhere had trouble selling their fabricated accounts. Lifetime monsters brought back to the dock were nothing but memories believed by those onboard.
Today it remains the same. A fish without a photo is nothing but a fable. A story without documentation is easily dismissed.
So, it began. Japanese fishermen began keeping scrolls of rice paper and vats of non toxic sumi ink on board. Jaw droppers that made it over the gunnel were painted, printed, washed, and consumed. Lies were proven legitimate and angler’s everywhere kept and hung trophy prints that would stand the test of time.
This art form of printing fish became widely popular in the 1900s, and even the godly Emperor Hirohito was said to keep a collection of fish prints along his palace walls.
In the modern day, professional gyotakus can sell for thousands of dollars, with commission pieces sometimes stretching over ten feet. It's a great alternative to taxidermy and leaves room for artistic freedom when depicting your catch.
The problem with fish printing is the barriers to entry. What materials do you need? Where do you buy them? And how do you print your fish? Here at Iko Prints we did the heavy lifting with our slogan “Just. Add. Fish” Our DIY gyotaku kit includes everything you need to print your catch, all you’ve got to do is catch a fish. The Japanese term “Iko” translates to “Let’s go” resulting in our call to action “Let’s go - Print”. Follow along as we show you how to print your own fish.
Watch: https://www.instagram.com/p/C-_aEQGxMHi/?hl=en