Combining the traditional Japanese technique ‘gyotaku’ and fish from Olhão market, Rachel Ramirez is a most unusual artist. An exhibition of her fascinating pictures can be seen at Galeria Côrte-Real in Paderne.
A recognised expert in the art of oriental printing, there are museums and libraries in the USA, Japan, Egypt, Malaysia and Portugal that collect her work. It has also been displayed at the British Library and Tate Britain.
The traditional ‘gyotaku’ process originated in mid-19th century Japan and uses the forms of real fish as the print material. Producing replicas of the originals, no two prints are alike and the finished pictures are a mixture of aesthetic beauty and scientific accuracy.
‘Gyo’ means fish and ‘taku’ means a rubbing or an impression. The ‘gyotaku’ process was first adopted in the West by scientific illustrators at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.
Rachel, who is an artist rather than a scientist, creates beautiful compositions. She was born in Kowloon, Hong-Kong, which explains her fascination with the Orient.
Today she lives in Olhão and is a member of the Nature Printing Society, an international organisation dedicated to the practice of the art of printing from nature. Her unique pictures are available at Galeria Côrte-Real at surprisingly affordable prices.
The gallery is signposted from Boliqueime, Ferreiras and Paderne. It is open Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm.
912 737 762 | [email protected] | www.corterealarte.com
By CAROLYN KAIN
Photo: Carapaus for sale at Galeria Côrte-Real
