Welcome back to part two of Nainoa’s session! If you haven’t read part one yet, I highly recommend doing so before continuing on.
After Nai was done printing the Uku, it was time to eat! One of the most important things to Nai is that he isn’t killing fish just for the sake of art or social media or anything else. He has a deep connection and respect for the ocean and the creatures in it and firmly believes that when he takes something from the ocean it needs to be respected and fully utilized, not just thrown away. This is one of the reasons that I so appreciate Nai, and I wanted to make sure that the cleaning and cooking part of the process was documented along with the art. The two are entirely tied together, and I wouldn’t be telling the whole story if I only showed the art-making process.
The quality and freshness of this meat was unlike anything you will get in a store or restaurant. We actually all tried a few pieces cut right from the fish, sashimi-style, and it was incredible. There was also a ton of meat on this fish, more than enough to feed the four of us that night.
On top of being a great spearfisher and artist, Nai is also an incredible cook. The nights that he comes over and cooks for us are always amazing and I know we will eat well! On this particular night, he went with a fried coconut fish. The chunks of fresh Uku were soaked in coconut milk, breaded, and then quickly fried up. It was truly mouthwatering!
Nai completed the next part of the process at home, so I didn’t get to document that. But, once he finished painting in the colors of the fish, he came over to stretch the fabric and sign the piece, so I was able to grab some photos of the finished process!
And last but not least, the finished piece!
Thank you so much, Nai, for sharing your process and art (and cooking skills) with me! You can find more of his work on his Instagram, and can also purchase shirts with his prints here. And, if you catch or spear a fish of a lifetime here on the Big Island, reach out to have him immortalize it for you!