An ancient Japanese printing tradition made its mark in Newcastle
An 85kg Southern Bluefin tuna isn’t something you expect to find inside Newcastle Art Gallery.
But during this year’s Newcastle Tuna & Seafood Festival, that’s exactly what visitors encountered as local artist Indeah Clark transformed the festival’s most iconic ingredient into an extraordinary work of art using the centuries-old Japanese technique of Gyotaku.
Originally developed by Japanese fishermen in the early 1800s, Gyotaku, meaning “fish rubbing”, was a practical way to record the size and species of prized catches before cameras existed. Fishermen would coat their catch in ink before carefully pressing paper over the fish, creating an accurate life-sized impression to document the day’s success.
Over time, what began as a method of record keeping evolved into an art form in its own right.
For Clark, who recently completed an artist residency in Japan, the opportunity to bring the tradition to Newcastle felt like a natural fit.
“I only know the very top level of the technique,” she explained during the demonstration,
“what really fascinated me was how something that started as documentation has become this incredibly beautiful artistic process.”
Working with the enormous tuna supplied for the festival, Clark spent close to an hour carefully preparing the fish before the printing process could even begin. Every fin was positioned by hand, the ink consistency tested through a series of practice prints, and finally large sheets of paper were carefully laid across the body to capture every contour, scale and detail.
Unlike many modern printmaking techniques, Gyotaku embraces imperfection.
“The process is actually more important than the finished print, the little inconsistencies and rough edges are part of the beauty.”
One detail, however, couldn’t be printed.
Because ink won’t transfer onto the fish’s glossy eye, the final eye is always painted by hand – a small finishing touch that brings the artwork to life.
Watching the process unfold offered a fascinating insight into both traditional Japanese culture and the remarkable anatomy of one of the ocean’s fastest fish. As Clark pointed out, even the tuna’s fins fold neatly into grooves along its body, allowing it to move through the water like a streamlined bullet.
The finished work now stands as more than just a print of an impressive fish.
It represents a meeting of cultures – Japanese tradition, Australian seafood, and Newcastle’s growing appreciation of art, food and storytelling. It also perfectly captured the spirit of this year’s Newcastle Tuna & Seafood Festival, where seafood became not only something to eat, but something to experience.
For those lucky enough to witness it in person, seeing an 85kg tuna transformed into art was a reminder that creativity can be found in the most unexpected places.
