
Tatau: Tatau Sāmoa ma ata pu‘eTatau: Sāmoan Tattooing and Photography
Tīgā. Fa‘asinomaga. ‘Auala fou. Maimoa mai i le Tatau Sāmoa e ala i ata pu‘e o ni tagata pu‘eata se to‘afā – a‘o fa‘agasolo le taimi i Sāmoa, Aotearoa Niu Sila, ma tala atu. ‘Ole‘ā ‘e fa‘alogo fo‘i i le tāua o le Tatau Sāmoa mai i a latou ‘olo‘o lā‘eiina nei fa‘ailoga pa‘ia.
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Pain. Identity. Innovation. Experience Sāmoan tattooing through the lenses of four photographers – across time, in Sāmoa, Aotearoa, and beyond. You’ll also hear about tatau’s significance from those who wear these sacred markings.
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Ko te tatau, ko te tāpatupatu uhi e haehae ai i te kiri, he mamae, he mana, he tapu. Mā ēnei karu nō te tokowhā kaihopu whakaahua e rongo ai i te tā tatautanga i te takanga o te wā, i te takahanga o te ao. Ka rongo kōrero anō mō te hunga kua tāia ki te uhi tapu, arā, ki te autā.
9 Nov 2019 – 8 Nov 2020
Toi Art, Level 4
Free entry
All ages
wheelchair accessible
floor has some shallow slopes
accessible toilet
Discover moreKia kitea ake
Tatau: A History of Sāmoan Tattooing
A beautifully designed and richly illustrated retelling of the unique and powerful history of Sāmoan tattooing, from 3,000 years ago to modern practices.
Tattooing in the Pacific
Since the 1980s there has been a revival in tattooing across east Polynesia, and interest in Pacific tattoo designs has spread across the world.
Explore Sāmoan tatau on Collections Online
Photographs of Sāmoan tatau in New Zealand and tools used in the art of tatau.
For educatorsMā te pouako
Using the new Tatau: Sāmoan Tattooing and Photography exhibition, students learn about tatau’s significance from those who wear these ceremonial markings.