Process & Conservation

From fish to impression

1. Observe and document. Record the source fish and available catch context. Preserve what is known, and keep uncertainties visible.
2. Prepare the impression. Prepare the fish and apply pigment for a direct impression.
3. Press the paper. Hand-press the Hanji against the fish to take its form and surface detail.
4. Finish the work. Add eye or watercolor details where used, and record the signed or sealed state when documented.
5. Keep the record. Connect photographs, artwork identity, and later presentation through the catalog.

Separate impressions from the same fish can produce distinct originals. A reproduction is made from an existing artwork and is labeled separately.

Paying attention to freshwater life

The purpose of this collection is to make freshwater life visible and memorable. Close observation of scales, fins, eyes, and species differences can deepen appreciation for the waters around us and encourage their care.

Documentation supports that purpose by distinguishing observation from inference. Estimated measurements remain labeled as estimates, missing stages remain acknowledged, and an artwork’s story is not expanded beyond the evidence available.