Naoki's love for fishing, art combined in gyotaku prints

by James Gonser
Managing Editor

Artist Naoki Hayashi's works are more than his expression of the beauty of nature -- they are also his meals. The 35-year-old Hawaii Kai fisherman, known simply as Naoki, practices the traditional Japanese art of fish printing called gyotaku. "Because of my background of catching food from the ocean to eat, whatever lives in there is very sacred to me," Naoki said. "To waste it would be insulting. I think whatever you kill should be for consumption. Even if it's for art." Naoki loves to talk about fish. He laughs easily, but is very serious about his work and his art. To pay the bills, Naoki teaches scuba diving and takes Japanese tourists on diving tours. "I keep my safety standards very high and am proud of that," he said. But when hunting fish, it is strictly with friends. With a boat handler and diving buddy, Naoki makes free dives in the deep offshore waters looking for ono, mahimahi and ahi. "I prefer free diving whenever I go fishing," Naoki said. "Then main reason is I get to feel the environment. I'm not relying on the equipment, I'm relying on myself and the conditions around me. "When I hold my breath and go down 40 feet, I can relax, look around and listen to whales singing in the background." That is when Naoki hunts, looking for pelagic fish whose images will become mounted on his wall and whosemeat will fill his stomach.

"You have to be focused in the water," he said. "If we get something big, we may need a boat assist. And sometimes a shark comes up. Naoki grew up Kohala side on the Big Island, where he learned to fish. Raised by his grandparents after his father returned to Japan, Naoki also developed an interest in art. "I spent a lot of time spearfishing while growing up," he said. "On the Kona side we used to go night fishing and catch ulua. I value that plenty. "My grandma use to do ceramics and she had a kiln in the back. I used to throw bowls when I was 8 years old," he said. "Art is everywhere in my family, but fishing combined with art is the perfect combination for me."

Naoki attended Chapman University in California, earning a degree in chemistry in 1987. "After college I asked myself, 'How do I want to spend my life?' That is why I'm here, even though I wen to college in California and had more job offers there, but then I couldn't leave this (lifestyle) behind," he said. Naoki began honing his gyotaku skills about five years ago, making prints for himself and friends. Just two years ago he became a professional artists, marketing and selling his works.

He treats fish used for printing very gently. When he spears a fish, he tries to hit a spot that will not show a wound, like under its cheek. A speared fish is quickly laid flat in a cooler on the boat and once home, the fish is washed gently with Hawaiian salt to remove any membrane. "I don't have forever to work because I'm not going to throw it away," he said. "Time is real crucial." The initial print must be made within hours of being caught.

Using acrylic colors he paints the fish and makes an impression on rice paper to capture the texture of the scale or skin pattern. The eyes are added last. "If I don't put the right eyes in, I wrinkle them up and throw them away. It's dead," he said. "If you can do the eye right, it adds life and it is a success. Naoki tries to make his fish look as they did while swimming freely in the ocean. He adds blue or red highlights to the print or groups small fish as they would cluster in a cave hiding from predators.

Several of Naoki's gyotaku pieces are on display at the Corner Cafe in the Hawaii Kai Towne Center. They can also be seen at the Natsunoya Tea House in Nuuanu and at the Maui Sporting Goods store on Kapahulu Avenue. He is also working on a 1999 calendar for American Savings Bank, which will feature 14 of his gyotaku prints. An original piece sells from about $550, depending on the size, and smaller reproductions are $50. Each is framed in koa or mango, which he makes himself. "Every fish has a story," Naoki said. "I'm proud of catching the fish so I can tell the customer the story from the beginning. Where it was caught, like that kumu. I had to go down to 40 feet three times to get it. "Gyotaku is a unique way of capturing and keeping the fish forever. In photographs one ono may look like another, but when you print them, the textures, and grains and little scars appear. It shows individuality."