I will talk about how my art was inspired by my love of the ocean and informed by my work and experiences around the sea!

Nam Siu is an artist and overall thalassophile (ocean lover) based on the Olympic Penisula. For his day job, he works as a biologist, protecting our state’s marine life and ecosystems. Nam is an avid surfer, diver, and spearfisher, spending most of his free time above or under the water. As a naturalist, he initially started making his art as a means to collect specimens and record his catches. All of his pressings and prints are still of specimens he personally collects. Nam utilizes the traditional Japanese fish printing technique known as “gyotaku”(魚拓) translating to fish impression, which he has modified for his medium. He also customized his own algae pressing technique to create his algal herbarium species or kelp pressings. Nam was Washington Sea Grant’s featured local artist in 2022.

Our lecture series, The Future of Oceans, draws on the commitment of professional researchers and educators across all academic spectrums to help define and inspire the health of our oceans.

To see the full lecture series for 2023-2024, visit our Lectures page.

Thanks to the Darrow Family for their ongoing support.