Latest news with #ThailandPrintmakingFestival
Bangkok Post
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bangkok Post
Gyotaku: From catch to craft
Gyotaku, or fish printing, was a traditional method used by Japanese fishermen to record their catches before photography existed. Centuries ago, the practice was roughly done by using natural ink, such as squid ink, applied on the fish, then pressing it with a piece of paper or fabric found on the boat. The printing images were once seen merely as a way for fishermen to show others their prizes from the sea. Over time, the intricate ridges and scales, depicted in a completely different way from photographs, were revered as an art form. This printing technique was developed and valued by Japanese aristocrats. With its life-like imprints, the craft has captivated worldwide art enthusiasts, including Jaturun 'Thank' Rungruengsaowapak, one of the few gyotaku artists in Thailand. The 31-year-old said he first saw gyotaku hanging on a restaurant wall, and its outstanding beauty made him wonder how it was created. 'I had to learn it by translating texts from Japanese or English as there was hardly any information in Thai at the time,' Thank said, recalling his introduction to gyotaku three years ago. Thank also owns a bar in Bangkok where fish sashimi is served. 'I'm crazy about the diversity of fish,' he said. 'My key goal is to print all Thai fish species.' The process began by drying off the fish's surface as much as possible, since any remaining moisture would make it difficult to control the ink during painting. The black ink used for gyotaku is called sumi, which is also used in Chinese calligraphy. Sumi ink, made of pine cones or fish skin, is food-safe, allowing the fish to be processed for eating afterwards. Shading techniques vary by artist when applying ink to the fish, Thank explained, saying his preference was to depict the fish as close to reality as possible, so he applied more ink to patterned areas and less to plain parts. The traditional Japanese paper used for gyotaku is called washi. In Thailand, however, there is mulberry paper, known as saa paper, which Thank said offers similar quality. With steady hands, the craftsman pressed the paper onto the fish, gently guiding each finger along its ridges and scales. Flipping the paper revealed the printed image as if the fish had drawn itself, while the final step was to add an eye, the only feature drawn by the artist. 'Beyond being caught and cooked, the fish lives on in the art,' the Thai gyotaku artist said. His works and live printing are now featured in the Thailand Printmaking Festival being held at Central Chidlom, Bangkok, running until July 15 on the second floor's event hall. Discover more about the artist's ink journey in the interview video by the Bangkok Post below.
Time Out
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Thailand Printmaking Festival comes to Bangkok this July
Printmaking used to be the sort of thing your art teacher loved, or that one cousin who still uses an iPod and can't shut up about 'zines'. But this year's Thailand Printmaking Festival isn't just for the print-obsessed. It's for anyone who's ever paused to admire a sticker on a lamp post or traced the grain of a paperback cover. Print is, quite literally, 'everywhere' – and that's precisely the point. Running July 4-15, from 4pm-10pm daily at Central Chidlom's Event Hall, the festival returns under the quietly radical theme: 'Printing is everywhere.' The premise is simple – print doesn't belong on a pedestal. It lives in our wardrobes, bookshelves, shopping bags, tote bags, Instagram feeds and street corners. It's daily, it's democratic and it's deliciously DIY. Organised by GroundControl and PPP Studio, this year's edition pulls Bangkok into the fold after its last showing in Chiang Mai's Dream Graff Gallery (2022). With a broader scope and louder presence, the 2025 festival aims not just to show but to 'share' – a communal invitation to press, smudge and roll ink across our daily lives. What's new to look forward to this year? In addition to a wide range of artworks – from statement pieces to pocket-sized prints – the festival presents a special exhibition uniting 10 artists with 10 distinctive print studios. Each duo brings a unique method to the mix. Weekend workshops will also be held throughout, inviting visitors to create their own prints with ease. More than just a market of towering prints and pocket-sized treasures, the festival also includes: Exhibition – 10 x 10 Artist x Studio 10 artists, 10 studios, zero rules. Think of it as speed dating with ink. Each pair has co-created pieces that blur the line between studio precision and raw, individual style. Artists: Benzilla / Kitikong / Lolay / Mamablues / / Nutkai / Pod Art / Rukkit / Sahred Toy / Yeedin Studios: Archivist / C.A.P / Kienhin / Made By Gyvendore / Mezzpress / Poom Wisidwinyoo / PPP Studio / TNT / Wisut Tae / Witti Print workshops Every weekend, the Event Hall turns into a mini factory of trial and error. Expect ink-stained fingers, good-natured swearing and something frame-worthy to take home. Live print Watch as brings fish printing (Gyotaku) to life, proving once again that dead things can be strangely beautiful. Then head over to Hello My Name is BKK for a dose of urban wheatpaste rebellion. Interactive: Rubbing art A five-metre stretch of textured surfaces begs to be felt, traced and transformed. Pencils, crayons, charcoal – no digital tools in sight. Printmaker's market Postcards, zines, shirts, notebooks – the sort of art you can carry, wear or accidentally spill coffee on. Stallholders include: Ppp Studio / Hello Print Friend / Metasit / Prawin Print / Sab / Saratta / Spacebar Zine / Young Print (University) and a delightful host of others. Because sometimes you want to know 'why' the artist glued fish to paper. Casual, curious and caffeinated conversations about process, politics and print. Free to enter, free to wander, free to touch things you're normally told not to. Bring your friends, your nan, your inner child. Leave with ink under your nails.
