About the artist...

Nate Garrett is a Maine-based artist whose practice is rooted in gyotaku, the traditional Japanese art of fish printing. Nate explores this traditional technique through a contemporary lens, capturing the quiet dignity of aquatic life.

Nate's work is deeply informed by the Japanese aesthetic of "Ma" (間) - the intentional use of negative space as an active, meaningful element. In his compositions, space is not abscence but a deliberate pause that shapes perceptions and invites quiet contemplation. His art encourages viewers to linger within these intervals as much as on the forms themselves.

His minimalist approach and restrained color palette evoke comparisons to Edo-period artist Itō Jakuchū, whose influence can be felt in the detail and spaciousness of his work.

Nate’s work has been shown nationally and internationally, including ‘Kindred Tides,’ a solo exhibition at the Maine Maritime Museum in 2024, and the Awagami International Mini Print Exhibition hosted in Tokushima, Japan. He was recognized as South Portland’s Maker of the Year in 2024, profiled in Down East Magazine’s “Best of Maine” issue 2024, and received a Maine Arts Commission Grant for fiscal year 2026. His work is also on display at the Japanese Consulate in Boston Massachusetts.

Artist's CV

Awards/Honors

Maine Arts Commission Grant                    2026

South Portland Maker of the Year              2024

Exhibitions/Display

Japanese Consulate, Boston                         2025 (ongoing)

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath                   2024

Japanese Paper Museum, Tokushima        2023

Instructor

Snow Farm School of Craft                           2026

Nantucket Historical Association              2026, 2025, 2024

Nature Printing Society                                 2024, 2021, 2020, 2019

Lectures/Demonstrations

Walk the Working Waterfront                     2026, 2025, 2024

Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza                          2026, 2025, 2024, 2023

Japanese Consulate, Boston                         2025

Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association       2025

Japan Festival Boston                                    2025

Bowdoin College                                              2025

Maine College of Art and Design                 2024

Maine Maritime Museum                              2024

Maine State Aquarium                                   2023

Boothbay Harbor Tuna Challenge               2023

Gulf of Maine Research Institute                 2023, 2022

Japan Society of Boston                                  2022

Media/Press

Featured Artist, American Frame Inc         2025

Down East Magazine, “Best of Maine”           2024

TV Tokyo Sekai ga Odoroita Nippon!              2023