When I was making a fish sculpture for my first customer, he asked me curiously, “Do you only know how to make fish? Do you do other animals?” Apart from that, the most common question I was asked was “Why did you choose to do this kind of work?”. I get asked a lot of questions like “Why did you choose to do this work?”, “Fish is a very popular subject in China, even for anglers they are mostly hunters and their first impression of fish is as a food item, you should try something with a bigger audience”, and there are many suggestions of this kind. In most cases my explanation is “it’s just a hobby”, but if I had to answer these questions in detail, and needed to know the story behind how I came to take up this hobby as a job, then it would probably be a long story, as it has taken up almost my entire time line, dating back as far as childhood.

My name is You Qiang, I was born in a mountain village in southern China in the late 1980s. A winding river flowed through the my hometown, and my grandfather used to make a living by fishing and selling fish.When my father started his business,he founded a factory.This was at a time when china was undergoing reform and opening up, and the establishment of his factory greatly improved our family’s material life.However, my father continued to occasionally go fishing in the river as a hobby.In those materially poor time,it may have been his only form of entertainment during his childhood.I was the same,although my parents strongly opppsed me playing by the river,my uncle would always take me along when he went fishing.at the time,there were no specialized fishing tools,so we used handmade bamboo poles,my earliest memory is of catching a Chinese hooksnout carp (Opsariichthys Bidens)with a bamboo rod. at that time,the countryside had not yet been affected by environmental issues caused by industrial development, and the river was teeming with a variety of fish. Among them, the makou fish left the strongest impression on me, with its distinctive mouth. Its body color shimmered in seven colors, setting it apart from other fish. This wa my irst catch in lite. at the time. did not know the scientific names of these fish, but throuch observation. was able to distinguish between Chinese hooksnout carp and Pale chub Zacco platvous l from a vound ad there was an occasion when my tather broucht home a larde catch trom the river. Amond them was a very arde Chinese nooksnout carp. andi considered keeping t in the pond behind our house, but tsoon diec with its belly exposed. This left me deeply saddened, and I eventually had to bury the Chinese hooksnout carp in the garden against my will.

When I was in elementary school, i often went fishing with my cousin during summer vacation. Most of the time. we would fish from morning until late at night, refusing to go home until our families came to pick u up. Children’s obsession with fishing was almost fanatical. Even now, when I recall those days. I can still feel the lingering excitement. It was precisely for that reason that i formed an unbreakable bond with fish. Th most memorable incident occurred when I had iust entered middle school. My father took me with him to a farm for business negotiations. While my father was negotiating business, I went alone to the shore of th farm’s dam and saw people fishing from a boat on the lake. I sat on the shore and watched them for a long time. The people on the boat noticed my intention, pulled the boat closer to the shore, and let me aboard They even lent me a fishing rod. That was my first experience using professional-grade fishing gear. Using a bomb hook A type of “group hook” commonly seen in Chinal. I caught the largest fish of my childhood. It wa a Asia Bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) over a meter long, and the small boat we were in spun around as the fish pulled it. During the struggle with the large fish, I was nearly pulled into the water multiple times feeling both fear and excitement from the force transmitted throuah the fishing line. I had no idea fish could be so powerful, Ultimatelv. with others help. i managed to land the giant fish, It was the largest fish l had ever seen.
Around the year 2000, online games became a big part of my life, but my love for nature and fish never diminished. In 1997, my father moved us away from our hometown, and the new living environment was completely unfamiliar. there were no natural landscapes or rivers like those back home, only the gray dust and haze from the exhaust fumes emitted by the cement factory covering the sky. Fortunately, the “Animal World” videotapes my father brought back from his business trips became the most unforgettable memories of that time. During summer vacation, I would wake up every day, finish my homework, and spend the rest of the time watching these videotapes in front of the TV. I remember watching them dozens of times. my father also bought me many anime videos… However, my interest in the natural world was stronger. when I first saw the scene of salmon migrating upstream to spawn on the videotape, I felt that the entire natural world was so mysterious, and I was completely immersed in that scene.

My parents’ first wish was for me to study medicine in the future. at that time, I was attending high school in a place a little far from my hometown. During high school, I became particularly interested in computer technology and taught myself programming. at that time, I faced a major challenge in life, and my family circumstances changed… after that, I developed an aversion to the internet and became strongly interested in art. I taught myself painting techniques, and when I studied environmental design in college, my teacher recognized my high artistic talent and encouraged me to develop my potential. at times, I would sketch the images of fish that remained in my mind. However, by then, it had been a long time since I had been near a river, and I hadn’t gone fishing in ages. yet, one day, while watching the documentary “River Monster” produced by Animal Planet online, the passion buried deep within my heart was reignited by “River Monster”. In this documentary, Jeremy Wade is shown searching for various strange fish around the world, and I couldn’t help but exclaim, “this is exactly the life I’ve always dreamed of since I was a child.” Over the next year, I searched the internet for fishing masters like Jeremy Wade, such as Noritaka Takashi and Leong Wai Loong, and through them, I first learned about lure fishing, a new method of fishing.

In 2009, I rediscovered my passion for fishing. I spent half a month’s living expenses on purchasing a complete set of beginner’s fishing gear online, and from then on, I would go fishing by the river whenever I had free time. I researched scientific information about various fish online and learned about many rare species of fish I had never seen before. I began to frequently imagine catching these fish. Even when our teacher took us outside for sketching, I would bring my fishing gear and cast my line whenever there was water nearby. A few of my classmates also started fishing under my influence. Wu Dong, who co-founded the studio with me, has been a close friend for nearly 30 years. We played together from childhood through university, and he too began fishing under my influence. He continues to assist me in creating my sculpture works to this day.

After completing my studies, I did an internship at an interior design company in Changsha City. However, after only a few days of work, I realized that this was not the kind of work I was looking for. After seeing that big fish, that desire continued to drive me. I decided to devote myself entirely to work related to fish. I went fishing day and night and got to know many local anglers. On several occasions, I went fishing at a dam lake with my fishing buddies in the middle of the night and fished all night long. One night, while fishing for Chinese Longsnout Catfish (Leiocassis longirostris) at the dam lake, I caught so many that my fingers became swollen from frequent contact with the water.

The first time I created a taxidermy specimen was to preserve a first capture fish species for posterity. At the time, I remember posting about the process of creating a specimen of a Yellow cheek carp at Lure8.com. Around 2010, when I caught a Yellow cheek carp (Elopichthys bambusa) over half a meter long in the Xiangjiang River in Changsha City, my net-friends told me that this was the dream fish species of anglers. I decided to make this fish into a specimen. This was my first attempt at creating a fish specimen. Since I had no formal training in specimen creation, I collected relevant learning materials online and began the process.

However, the materials available onlineshop at the time were very limited, and some specimen creation materials could not be purchased online. Looking back now, I realize that I omitted many important steps in the process of creating this fish specimen. Although this work was not perfect, it left a deep impression on me and became the catalyst for my later involvement in fish specimen creation. Initially, I had little interest in fish specimen creation. I had seen the works of taxidermists in Europe and America, but in fact, many taxidermists in Europe and America still use the traditional method of creating specimens by taking molds from the bodies of fish. This is not true “taxidermy.” This method of production is usually called “fish replica” and is distinguished from sculpture. My decision to seriously pursue specimen production was triggered by a chance discovery during a trip to Japan. While browsing a fishing tackle shop in Kyoto, I saw the works of Hiroaki Matsumoto on display inside the store. It was the first beautiful fish taxidermy work I had ever seen, and in that moment, I stood transfixed, gazing up at the lifelike fish specimens hanging on the wall. While I was amazed, I kept wondering how these astonishing techniques were achieved. After returning home, I began purchasing many related books. Some of them were in foreign languages, so I used a dictionary to assist my learning, as my English level was limited.
When talking about sculpture, I have to start with the story of when I first started working. After leaving my job in my field of expertise (interior design), I started working as a design assistant at a fishing tackle company. Through my work and studies during those few years, I gained a deeper understanding of the structure and shape of fish. During the development and production process of hardbait lure, I suddenly decided to try my hand at fish sculpture. At the company, we frequently used sculpting clay for the exterior design of biomimetic lures during product development, but I truly began fish sculpture with wood carving. I have carved fish sculptures using materials such as yuzu wood, beech, and cypress. However, expressing my ideas through wood carving was challenging, especially when it came to the details of fish sculptures, where I always insisted on completing the work in an ultra-realistic style. For a long time, I was unaware of the possibility of processing these fish into GKfigures. In other words, I had no idea what GK sculpture was for a long time. It was only in the past few years that I came into contact with GK sculpture. I am not actively involved in this industry; I simply enjoy the process of creating fish sculptures.

Around 2016, I began to realize that turning my hobby into a career was extremely difficult. Still, I wanted to continue, and there was nothing better for me. My job allowed me to go fishing frequently and do what I loved even while working in an office. However, due to the meager income, I always felt guilty toward those(Girlfriend) around me. Later, I quit my job at the fishing tackle company and, through a referral, transitioned to a completely different industry, working as a technical department manager at a multinational financial company. This transition was so significant that I still can’t believe I worked at a financial company. I worked there for four years, but I never gave up my hobby during that time. During my days off, I would go fishing or stay in my room painting or carving fish sculptures. My colleagues called me the “fish maniac,” and my superiors would occasionally ask me questions about fishing. My American colleagues even invited me to go salmon fishing in he hometown of Alaska Bay. One time, when my birthday fell on a weekday, my boss specially arranged for a fish-shaped cake. At that time, I had moved away from my favorite job and into workplace environment that didn’t suit me at all, but this gesture was a huge encouragement. I never expected my hobby to have such an impact on the people around me.

By 2020, due to the economic situation at the time, the company decided to relocate its operations to the United States and the Middle East. The technical department remained, but I am not the type of person who can sit around with nothing to do. Senior management and my superiors wanted me to stay, and they told me over the phone that I did not have to come to the office during this period and could relax at home and plan my work. At the time, I was quite torn. Ultimately, given my age, I thought it would be difficult to find a suitable job if I were to re-enter the workforce, and I doubted I could find an easy one either. However, my curiosity and sense of adventure eventually overpowered my rationality, and after several internal struggles, I decided to resign and pursue the path of doing what I truly wanted to do. The experiences of the past few years have brought me new sensibilities and insights into the art of fish, and through exposure to outstanding works from abroad, many ideas I wish to put into practice have begun to take root in my mind.I caught a yellow-cheek over one meter long in the Yangtze River. / May 01,2014Soon realized that continuing this passion and making it my livelihood was by no means an easy task. I receive many requests from friends in the fishing and aquarium industries to create sculptures of fish, but the creative process takes up most of my life. My friends have repeatedly encouraged me to set up social media accounts to promote myself and build my brand. I have received a few orders thanks to their recommendations, but I have always felt resistant to the internet.

As I create more fish-related works, imitators and those who openly plagiarize and sell their work online at low prices have emerged. I cannot imagine how they make a profit. If they are truly original creators, they likely struggle to make ends meet. This is because mass-producing low-cost works leaves little time for proper creation. Personally, I adopt the attitude of either focusing on what I love or not doing it at all. Therefore, when creating, I strive to thoroughly research and observe the fish I am making. This is because it reflects my respect for what I love. Over the past few years, I have created numerous sculptures of various types of fish. From marine fish to large freshwater fish, and even small stream fish species, I have worked on a wide range of genres and collected a large amount of reference material related to fish. After catching fish while fishing outdoors, I document them with a camera, label them, and then research a large amount of material to study the shape of their scales, the form of their fins, the structure of their skeletons, or how they swim in water. By thoroughly understanding them from the inside out, I am able to acquire this knowledge. This is an indispensable condition for creating excellent works.

Whether it be sculpture or taxidermy, I want my work to be filled with a sense of life comparable to that of a living fish. I have always believed that this is an important means for my own growth and improvement. Over the years, I have been encouraged by friends, colleagues, and clients, but such encouragement does not necessarily lead to growth, and people can easily become complacent. For example, when creating a sculpture of a tuna, I spent an entire night searching the internet for high-resolution images of tuna scales and comparing how their color changes under different environmental conditions. These materials are not easily found, and many people tend to overlook the details. Therefore, the creative process is highly complex, requiring not only consideration of the intricate techniques in the later stages but also anatomical knowledge. In many cases, I consult with aquatic researchers at the Academy of Sciences regarding specialized issues during the creative process.

Currently, the studio I founded has the privilege of creating sculptures and taxidermy specimens of fish for collectors, museums, aquariums, fishing clubs, and fish enthusiasts like myself, both domestically and internationally. Through this experience, my skills have continued to improve. Over the past few months, I have been working on taxidermy specimens of Topmouth Culter carp (Culter alburnus) for domestic fishing enthusiasts. Additionally, in the coming months, I may have the opportunity to create sculptures of Atlantic bluefin tuna for overseas museums.

Finally, these are my lifelong passions. They constantly present me with new challenges, which is why I never stop learning. I have a strong feeling that strange fish in the natural world will gradually disappear under the current environmental changes. I am not a pessimist. For about 10 years, I have been observing the Long Spikehead Carp (Luciobrama macrocephalus), a fish species native to China. This large carnivorous fish has been extinct in China for over 40 years. Currently, there is only one photo of a living specimen available online. I aim to document these aquatic spirits in my own way..