OTOKO

BLUEFIN BREAKDOWN

ART DIRECTION | PRINT DESIGN

Otoko, a modern omakase restaurant housed in South Congress Hotel in Austin, TX, hosts an annual event called Bluefin Breakdown. During this event, Chef Yoshi puts on a performance of slicing a giant tuna, that he will then serve to guests. This process leans into the sustainability practice of using the whole fish.

With my background in art and printmaking, I referenced the traditional Japanese print practice of Gyotaku which originated with fisherman printing their catches prior to the wide use of photography. The practice of Gyotaku parallel’s the restaurant’s sustainability mission in that in Gyotaku, after the print was created the fish would be consumed, leaving no waste.