The Art of the Catch

Gyotaku (pronounced gyo-tah-koo) is the traditional Japanese art of fish printing, first practiced by fishermen in the mid-1800s to record their most prized catches. Using sumi ink and delicate washi paper, the fish itself becomes a living stamp — capturing every scale, fin, and contour in breathtaking detail.

What began as a practical method evolved into a deeply expressive art form — a quiet conversation between nature, memory, and the artist’s hand.

The piece in this room was created by Dwight Hwang, a contemporary master of gyotaku. Working with ethically sourced fish and centuries-old techniques, Dwight honours both the fish and the fleeting moment of capture. His prints are never traced or drawn — they are made in real time, directly from the fish, in a meditative process of reverence and release.

Each work is both a record and a requiem — a fleeting life preserved in ink.