Makai Impressions: Preserving the Fading Art of Japanese Gyotaku

Originating in the 18th Century, Gyotaku is a traditional Japanese art form that uses freshly caught fish to create prints. The technique was initially used to catalogue a fisherman’s catch of the day and market it to the townspeople. Today, Brandon Nonaka, a Hawaiian artist who works under the label Makai Impressions is reviving the art form through his own sensibilities, merging the two island cultures. 

Nonaka makes sure to use biodegradable and food-safe ink so that the seafood he makes impressions of can still be consumed after he has made prints of them. This ensures that no seafood is wasted while creating his prints. Their prints help people understand Hawai’i’s marine biodiversity and the seafood industry’s impact on its fish population. Therefore, prints by Makai Impressions help people advocate for sustainable fishing practices, all while showcasing the beauty of its marine life. This is why Makai Impressions pieces align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Life Below Water and Responsible Consumption and Production.

“Makai” comes from Hawai’i and translates as “by the sea.” Nonaka labelled his work “Impressions from by the Sea” as the perfect way to encapsulate how his prints capture raw and unfiltered marine life from his home in Hawai’i. Brandon was born and raised in Hilo, Hawai’i a small quiet town where he spent most of his childhood with his avid fisherman father. He considers fishing, spear-diving and various ocean activities a common part of childhood in Hawai’i. After he was introduced to Gyotaku, he saw it as the perfect way to preserve marine life and fond memories of life in Hawai’i forever. 

The Gyotaku process begins when an artist applies black ink directly onto freshly caught fish. The excess ink is then dabbed off to ensure a detailed image of the fish can be transferred onto rice paper like a stamp. Ideally, this image should also capture the fish’s scales and textures. Nonaka also practices a somewhat modern iteration of the technique where acrylic colours bring the initial black-and-white print to life. This will allow the artist to capture everything from the fish’s eyes to colourful details such as stripes, spots and patterns. Each Gyotaku piece is only considered finished when its artist adds their Hanko to the piece; these are hand-crafted stamps that function as signatures in Japan.

A study published by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) found that fisheries in Hawai’i generated close to $50 million in gross sales, supporting nearly 900 jobs statewide. This is supported by the fact that 85 percent of people in Hawai’i live within a few miles of the ocean. However, in recent years, climate change has posed serious threats to the Hawai’i marine ecosystem, a phenomenon that will also threaten the people of Hawai’i’s jobs. Since 2015, record heatwaves have bleached over 50 percent of the corals around Hawai’i, with its impact on local biodiversity yet to be fully charted. This is the urgency of Makai Impressions’ pieces. As Nonaka has said, they help him preserve Hawai’i’s marine biodiversity, all in order to raise people’s awareness of how they, too, need their help.

Find out more about Gyotaku by Makai Impressions and their other pieces by checking their website www.makaiimpressions.com or Instagram @makai_impressions.