Artist Naoki Hayashi began making gyotaku prints at age 11. Since then he has refined and mastered his unique gyotaku process. Each of Naoki's gyotaku pieces is created using non-toxic acrylic paints and Japanese shoji paper. As an avid diver and fisher, Naoki views each gyotaku as a window into the underwater world he sees when diving in Hawaii's beautiful ocean waters. His art features fish in true-life color and in compositions that reflect how they are found in nature. Naoki has a deep respect for the ocean and its creatures. Thus, he will only create gyotaku art from fish that will be eaten. Each of his gyotaku pieces is both a record of a fish and a meal shared with friends and family.
