Bottle Top Gyotaku

This original hand-printed artwork transforms a plastic bottle top recovered from a local beach into a striking exploration of pattern, repetition, and renewal. After serving its role in the creative process, the bottle top was responsibly recycled, underscoring the work’s connection to sustainability and care for the environment.

Created using Gyotaku — a traditional Japanese technique once used to record ocean specimens — the process becomes a poignant way to reflect on the man-made objects now found in our seas. Each of the 105 impressions was placed by eye and hand-pressed, building layers of blue, red, and yellow ink to form a design that appears as though it contains 35 individual bottle tops. This meticulous approach creates subtle variations that make every print truly unique.

Printed on fine Chinese Xuan paper, wet-mounted using the Urauchi process, and finished with the artist’s personal Hanko stamp, the piece blends environmental reflection with timeless craftsmanship.