Loading Events

« All Events

The Japanese Art of Printing with Fish (Virtual)

January 18 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

$80 – $95

(DC) (Smithsonian Associates) Delightful detailed prints on paper can be made using real fish. Using direct printing and water-based printing inks, create realistic-looking schools of fish or a single artistic print simply by inking a whole fish and pressing it to paper.

The result is a gyotaku, a term derived from the Japanese words for fish (gyo) and print (taku). Before cameras, Japanese fishermen used this technique to document a big catch when they were out at sea: they applied sumi ink to a fish, pressed it to newspaper, and then rinsed the fish in the water so it could be eaten.

Find more Smithsonian cultural and nature events here.

Capital Nature