Micah Kai Yamauchi grew up in the water. Raised on O‘ahu, he spends much of his time diving and fishing along the island’s reefs. What comes back to shore often becomes the starting point for his artwork. For the past eight years, Yamauchi has practiced gyotaku, a traditional Japanese method of printing fish by pressing ink directly onto the catch and transferring its form to paper.
Originally used by fishermen to document their catch, gyotaku preserves the natural detail of each fish, from the curve of the fins to the pattern of the scales. Micah’s Catch features Hawai‘i’s Deep Seven—Ehu, Gindai, Hapu‘upu‘u, Kalekale, Lehi, Onaga, and ʻŌpakapaka—deepwater species found in local waters and caught by Micah himself.
Rendered across Kahala’s signature cotton broadcloth and made in Hawai‘i, the design carries the story of the catch from ocean to fabric.
About the ARTIST
Micah Kai Yamauchi began diving and fishing with his family at a young age, spending much of his childhood in the waters around O‘ahu. At eleven, he started practicing gyotaku, the traditional fish-printing technique that would later shape his artwork.
Today, Micah continues that practice, printing fish from what he and his friends bring back after long days in the water. His work preserves the immediacy of the catch while reflecting a lifestyle shaped by diving, fishing, and time spent outdoors. From these original prints, Micah’s Catch was developed as a textile design, bringing the artwork from paper to fabric.
