My Gyotaku Origin Story

When I took a gyotaku workshop on a whim in October of 2023 in Garibaldi, Oregon, little did I know that I would get so hooked by the art form. I had only seen gyotaku used for record keeping purposes by hobby fishermen in Japan, not as a fine art form. I quickly looked up the instructor, Duncan Berry, and I was deeply moved by his octopus prints on how they captured the life-like details and motion. I have done painting, drawing, and photography but I found none of them as deeply engaging as gyotaku. If you know me, you know how much I love the ocean and being in nature. There is something about the strong pull I feel from the ocean that is inexplicable with words. 

After the workshop, I experimented on my own but was not satisfied with my results. I found the resources on the Internet to be mixed results. I looked up Duncan’s work on the Internet and stumbled upon his interview by Travel Oregon on YouTube. He talked about “speaking for those who cannot speak” and “art illuminating science”, which deeply resonated with my soul. It was that video that gave me the sense of urgency to pursue the craft. 

I wrote an email to Duncan and luckily he was just thinking about having a serious student. I still cannot believe to this day how good of a timing it was. I apprenticed under him for several months and helped put together a gallery show, which helped me learn a ton.

At the moment, gyotaku feels like the perfect interaction of my creative interests. I am looking forward to capturing beautiful stories of the ocean that speak to you deeply.