Christian Montano

California / Costa Rica

Christian Montano’s work starts with a fish on the table, caught by him of course. Working as a charter captain in California, he began teaching himself gyotaku, the Japanese practice of printing directly from a catch. Ink meets scales, handmade Japanese paper gets pressed over the catch, and the fish leaves its mark. Every fin and small detail has a say.

A surf trip brought him to Costa Rica. Longer stays followed, until making art became the main event. He brings a fisherman’s eye and years of trial and error to the work, choosing his materials carefully enough to carry them back from Japan in his board bag. The first impression is only the start. Color, delicate paper and a steady hand take it from there.