Making His Mark. Local Lad Creates Unique Fish Prints

A young man with a passion for the sea has created a set of unique prints using the Japanese art of fish painting. This will appeal to anyone who loves fishing or is in the business of fishing.

Gareth Bekker spends most of his time in or near the sea, drawing inspiration from the wealth of sensory stimulation that the space offers.

He grew up in the scenic Garden Route and after completing his Bachelors of Fine Art at Stellenbosch University, he has followed his passions of diving and fishing to northern KwaZulu Natal.

Gyotaku fish printing

Bekker’s work with gyotaku fish printing comes from a need to visually record his catches in an accurate and aesthetically pleasing way.

Gyotaku is the traditional Japanese art of fish printing. “Gyotaku” translate literally into “fish” (gyo) and “rubbing” (taku).

The earliest known example of gyotaku – though this is somewhat contested – is believed to trace the form of a carp caught in the Mogami River in 1857.

The print can now be viewed at the Honma Museum of Art in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture.

The museum boasts the richest collection of historic gyotaku prints anywhere in the world.

The art of fish printing

Bekker works on 100% natural fabric using high-quality inks. After catching the fish, ink is applied directly and from this the print is made.

The result is an impression of the fish, often getting fine details such as the scales and fins. This is a precise way of recording catches as the length and size cannot be exaggerated.

Acknowledging the life of the fish

The main philosophy behind his fish prints is to take a moment to pause between the act of harvesting the fish and the preparation of a meal.

This moment allows him to stop and acknowledge the life of the fish that ultimately died so that he and his loved ones can eat sustainably harvested meal.

Prices

These are some examples of the kind of work he can do.

He is aware that the species demonstrated for the purposes of this article, reflect as RED on the Sassi list.

An example of what he charges for his prints are as follows:

• Cape Knifejaw: 57cm x 47cm R1000
• Jacopever: 54cm x 47cm R900
• Grunter: 110cm x 68cm R1500
• Belman: 104cm x 69cm R1500

If you want to know more, or if you have a special request, you can contact the artist via:

• Instagram: @gareth.bekker
• Email: garethbekkerfineart@gmail.com