Matthew Shares Two Tattoo, from Thailand and French Polynesia (by way of Biarritz, France)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnw7VdTFlP9sGiW3DXVaQkXua3xmeN9vlwAG-ds3ggc8FuGgPC0PkJk9fYDlxauGG1mPEez1Qj903fPZWGU_9tMMIxDH_EOHEEvMwb_TqwZRWGiXkUQ2VmhkD5agYafIdJimLEUf8lGU/s1600/Polynesian+bottom+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>I generally do not ask people about tribal designs because they are not particularly interesting to me. That is not to say they are not good, just that thy are not my cup of tea. But occasionally, an exception will come along, and I will be more than pleasantly surprised.<br /><br />Take Matthew, for example. I spotted him sitting on Penn Plaza early last month, and something about his tribal piece on his left calf intrigued me:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6AWy8D41RUaFHLzqqB5KY07zAvAuDSqCO3viQUSEjxjQODxeUEKLTy6SdPqny8wDb5WSrRdnT2EJV56wbht1BYhfk3-Iyatg-EkQGvYcbeXC9sczsLfDJwTfr1QDt-7Pnd6Ex5wjnxE/s1600/rooster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6AWy8D41RUaFHLzqqB5KY07zAvAuDSqCO3viQUSEjxjQODxeUEKLTy6SdPqny8wDb5WSrRdnT2EJV56wbht1BYhfk3-Iyatg-EkQGvYcbeXC9sczsLfDJwTfr1QDt-7Pnd6Ex5wjnxE/s640/rooster.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><br />Matthew, who is French, explained:<br /><blockquote>"I got it in Thailand in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Chang_District">Ko Chang</a>, which is an island at the frontier of Cambodia and Thailand ... it was done by a guy named 'Chung' - it was done in the old way of traditional Thai tattoo, which is with bamboo. So, basically, it lasts four hours and ... he put the bamboo in the ink ... between the thumb and the index [finger and] ... just tattooed ... three, four hours, all traditional.<br /><br />I went there and I already had the symbol in my head. I wanted a little rooster face here (because I'm French, I like the rooster) ... then he first designed it with a pen and we agreed on the drawing ... then he began it and four hours later I had it and I don't regret it."</blockquote>Then, Matthew totally blew me away when he raised his shirt to show me his other tattoo:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_GvbYGVoeImOcxSLUpT1P4Thhdj9cwZ1PZSgXcuCZ0IEI01nvBClbmys4FMkc9GNuxp8vsxYmzmrbzyzPhGXVUl5brmxfS-OomBm1CJ-cwRRuCptAtiSjS-qRjWJBjMSGBtprEGEryw/s1600/Polynesian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_GvbYGVoeImOcxSLUpT1P4Thhdj9cwZ1PZSgXcuCZ0IEI01nvBClbmys4FMkc9GNuxp8vsxYmzmrbzyzPhGXVUl5brmxfS-OomBm1CJ-cwRRuCptAtiSjS-qRjWJBjMSGBtprEGEryw/s640/Polynesian.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />Matthew explained this amazing piece of tattoo craftsmanship:<br /><br /><blockquote>"It was done in France just a few months ago by a guy who is from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallis_and_Futuna">Wallis and Futuna</a>, which is islands in <strike>French Polynesia</strike> l’Océanie polynésienne...  So, it's a symbol of a family, so here you see too little men [at center]:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAU-259jB64gGP7ky59kfg0shpxpOGFq8lL2vc-JpJafT2db6tftWdn2qy_HJKp3GVvGF4BwRGGVZozZOs2o_Q66F4MFNReh4w4IR90FQpsYcRRdN8FDzxZKJLHoIimQEeGWsFKEaxGw/s1600/two+little+men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAU-259jB64gGP7ky59kfg0shpxpOGFq8lL2vc-JpJafT2db6tftWdn2qy_HJKp3GVvGF4BwRGGVZozZOs2o_Q66F4MFNReh4w4IR90FQpsYcRRdN8FDzxZKJLHoIimQEeGWsFKEaxGw/s320/two+little+men.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br />that's my brother and my sister ... This is the symbol of the god ... <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozPwNMV4u-iKNFGt2sN3803HZeCFx1r9ISC8JLklSB6_wPJ21WGEbaOQH7Q1gZ9mVbsf828tmnmkrdnPQIAcahUZPKr2KC0U6toe3uk_Z5DtvEnrcWutJ9ARHMVYLwWPSxEaPEdmh1AU/s1600/god+glyph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozPwNMV4u-iKNFGt2sN3803HZeCFx1r9ISC8JLklSB6_wPJ21WGEbaOQH7Q1gZ9mVbsf828tmnmkrdnPQIAcahUZPKr2KC0U6toe3uk_Z5DtvEnrcWutJ9ARHMVYLwWPSxEaPEdmh1AU/s320/god+glyph.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />...which represents the man's strength. This is a ... lizard:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIU91h6Z-da6XNxq6ux4OHCMyKRIXEN48Yfhj0USl5j6zpqDXwZdK59xpcU66QCcWbYm0pwu6IEFtKH8jup7OAFVKtwZV3C5gHIFqaFAXjfHn8D1Rs-7xSO73fyZHZpfX7tCbjh1dsPQ/s1600/shark+teeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnw7VdTFlP9sGiW3DXVaQkXua3xmeN9vlwAG-ds3ggc8FuGgPC0PkJk9fYDlxauGG1mPEez1Qj903fPZWGU_9tMMIxDH_EOHEEvMwb_TqwZRWGiXkUQ2VmhkD5agYafIdJimLEUf8lGU/s1600/Polynesian+bottom+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnw7VdTFlP9sGiW3DXVaQkXua3xmeN9vlwAG-ds3ggc8FuGgPC0PkJk9fYDlxauGG1mPEez1Qj903fPZWGU_9tMMIxDH_EOHEEvMwb_TqwZRWGiXkUQ2VmhkD5agYafIdJimLEUf8lGU/s320/Polynesian+bottom+detail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />which, in the Polynesian culture, is a messenger of God, which looks behind you, in case of any danger."</blockquote><br />Matthew also noted that the top section of the tattoo is in the shape of a silver fern, which is symbolic of New Zealand, and Maori tattoo traditions:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7A0jY-BQZn6dDsDn0JQSw5J9-L4uDnD_AnuveVd1KXmP3V9z26qDgqIYqCfRbWtHlIvGMlQ_MtYjituAHQLD_BOBdPwjkTrtviZwYjlHNP4btJlYyWIALaVfHzU7L7mDVlMaQrVZyF4/s1600/Polynesian+top+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7A0jY-BQZn6dDsDn0JQSw5J9-L4uDnD_AnuveVd1KXmP3V9z26qDgqIYqCfRbWtHlIvGMlQ_MtYjituAHQLD_BOBdPwjkTrtviZwYjlHNP4btJlYyWIALaVfHzU7L7mDVlMaQrVZyF4/s640/Polynesian+top+detail.jpg" width="377" /></a></div><br /><br />He also pointed out the traditional shark's teeth, which is a popular element in traditional Polynesian tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIU91h6Z-da6XNxq6ux4OHCMyKRIXEN48Yfhj0USl5j6zpqDXwZdK59xpcU66QCcWbYm0pwu6IEFtKH8jup7OAFVKtwZV3C5gHIFqaFAXjfHn8D1Rs-7xSO73fyZHZpfX7tCbjh1dsPQ/s1600/shark+teeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIU91h6Z-da6XNxq6ux4OHCMyKRIXEN48Yfhj0USl5j6zpqDXwZdK59xpcU66QCcWbYm0pwu6IEFtKH8jup7OAFVKtwZV3C5gHIFqaFAXjfHn8D1Rs-7xSO73fyZHZpfX7tCbjh1dsPQ/s320/shark+teeth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Polynesian artist credited by Matthew for this tattoo is Soane Paninia, who works out of Polynesian Cultural in Biarritz, France. <br /><br />Matthew also told me that "normally, the traditional Polynesian tattoo are much more thicker, but through the Western influence, they now are very thin ... I asked for a thinner one, because I preferred this way."<br /><br />A very special "merci beaucoup" to Matthew for taking the time to show and explain his tattoos to me. I may have missed an element of two, but nonetheless, both pieces are spectacular in their own ways.<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div>

Matthew Shares Two Tattoo, from Thailand and French Polynesia (by way of Biarritz, France)

I generally do not ask people about tribal designs because they are not particularly interesting to me. That is not to say they are not good...

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Anthony's Tribal Tattoo, Inspired by Fiji

Last month I ran into Anthony in Penn Station with this interesting, yet unfinished, tattoo on his left arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdC-YS_3ZcxfaqM2dAT5es89RR9BPRdU_cgFLJeO0e6xH3lH_oPF9VGrXqNbHH7Ap29Gs77LM1TIwsvND6PdmQ8o_sXvP9kTjaS3NwuAeI9lJ-Z-15pgnWeSAP1wlBt2kXJ-kAv2q/s1600/UK+Tribal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdC-YS_3ZcxfaqM2dAT5es89RR9BPRdU_cgFLJeO0e6xH3lH_oPF9VGrXqNbHH7Ap29Gs77LM1TIwsvND6PdmQ8o_sXvP9kTjaS3NwuAeI9lJ-Z-15pgnWeSAP1wlBt2kXJ-kAv2q/s640/UK+Tribal.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />A visitor from England, Anthony let me take the photo, but he was in a bit of a rush, so I didn't get too much information from him, other than this was a Polynesian-themed design, inspired by a trip he took to Fiji. <br /><br />He credited <a href="http://www.lycanink.co.uk/html/family.html#Toni">Toni</a> at <a href="http://www.lycanink.co.uk/">Lycan Ink</a> in Liverpool, England, with the work.<br /><br />Thanks to Anthony for sharing with us here on Tattoosday.

Anthony's Tribal Tattoo, Inspired by Fiji

Last month I ran into Anthony in Penn Station with this interesting, yet unfinished, tattoo on his left arm: A visitor from England, Anthony...

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Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i: Tricia Allen's The Polynesian Tattoo Today

<span style="font-style: italic;">This is the first of many posts to follow from my recent trip to the beautiful state of Hawai'i....</span><br /><br />On Saturday, April 24, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a tattoo artist and writer who I have admired for quite some time.<br /><br />I previously spoke about <a href="http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/">Tricia Allen</a> when I looked at her book, <a href="http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/tattootraditions.htm">Tattoo Traditions of Hawaii</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SOFxEp-JC-Kl9h-qxN00qG5lJloA-T2xN7jabWprSu5nDv0obQ9nvcnI6h9JvteN6jUv1ck2nNK4CI9ttnikBx3ovvXilGVW1IpDeHpoNxJt0A-LuuDxDDIjKnIfYUOrordBph3V/s1600/Tricia+Signing.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466970720311946674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SOFxEp-JC-Kl9h-qxN00qG5lJloA-T2xN7jabWprSu5nDv0obQ9nvcnI6h9JvteN6jUv1ck2nNK4CI9ttnikBx3ovvXilGVW1IpDeHpoNxJt0A-LuuDxDDIjKnIfYUOrordBph3V/s400/Tricia+Signing.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />Now, with her new book freshly published, I not only got to have my copy signed, but I was fortunate enough to be there for the tattoo contest that followed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVt95Uw6LQgh35sPr3bH4eDGP3saLVWtWcdjAI_998vRduSxY9i5b4U3Vk7fs_Yrxz-y_5hDGd8FKLAepDC-tzHgrrbU0G_xWDRPOnjUF60ogtK8FYlB9R5uwVhYAyZ14_I1e-Y_jS/s1600/poly+ad.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466969244229249522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVt95Uw6LQgh35sPr3bH4eDGP3saLVWtWcdjAI_998vRduSxY9i5b4U3Vk7fs_Yrxz-y_5hDGd8FKLAepDC-tzHgrrbU0G_xWDRPOnjUF60ogtK8FYlB9R5uwVhYAyZ14_I1e-Y_jS/s400/poly+ad.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />The competition was divided up into four categories (Traditional Polynesian, Tribal, Non- Polynesian and Color). The whole event was pretty laid back, as far as tattoo contests go. In fact, there was a lot of work that was not entered among the audience that could have been in the money, so to speak.<br /><br />With a heavy focus on the Polynesian style, the two entrants in the color category meant <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/01/tyger-tyger-burning-bright.html">my tiger</a> could have won third prize, at least, had I been astute (and courageous) enough to enter.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTsZidob8E10oHJ5daecxIBPRZMGg234-3rS6bnApkXrZOG-Ku0ODJLaPAfQ-44SG45FTbNSeq1cXhLWs8zw1gb670HfzWA8gmRT8npRa25QL3LxQLqDpIF5VF55Fpgnl6l28mk0o/s1600/Tino+Hoffman.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466973630805592162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTsZidob8E10oHJ5daecxIBPRZMGg234-3rS6bnApkXrZOG-Ku0ODJLaPAfQ-44SG45FTbNSeq1cXhLWs8zw1gb670HfzWA8gmRT8npRa25QL3LxQLqDpIF5VF55Fpgnl6l28mk0o/s320/Tino+Hoffman.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" /></a>In the Traditional Polynesian <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01JuhJr6iVql8mujmn0KbwNYQjjXutTcvqelCPo71RfJjmS1oGqyC_895f6wyMb-F6t_95MdXUrNqLYx5yFqIyPlgkIMH435QtasDQfc1KsVBo427XexD7Q_gqNnLeILfOnKt5z6z/s1600/Robert+Medeiros.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466971663643304322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01JuhJr6iVql8mujmn0KbwNYQjjXutTcvqelCPo71RfJjmS1oGqyC_895f6wyMb-F6t_95MdXUrNqLYx5yFqIyPlgkIMH435QtasDQfc1KsVBo427XexD7Q_gqNnLeILfOnKt5z6z/s400/Robert+Medeiros.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 400px;" /></a>category, I was particularly fond of Tino Hoffman's thigh piece (pictured, left) with a <span style="font-style: italic;">honu </span><span style="font-style: italic;">(</span>sea turtle<span style="font-style: italic;">) </span>at the center. Although one could also not help buy be impressed by Robert Medeiros (right), whose canvas merited him top honors in the Tribal category.<br /><br />A whole slew of photos from the event can be seen <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#%21/album.php?aid=172635&id=331757672364">here</a> in one of the Facebook albums on the <a href="www.808ink.com"><span style="font-style: italic;">808Ink</span></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3865674&id=331757672364#%21/pages/808ink-Magazine/331757672364">fanpage</a>. <a href="www.808ink.com">The magazine</a> premieres next month as a quarterly publication dedicated to tattoos in and around Hawai'i.<br /><br />It was clear to me that one of the many talents present was the namesake of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Honolulu-HI/TATTOOS-BY-BONG/225592315559?v=info">Tattoos by Bong</a>. I even had a chance to meet Bong, who was responsible for the incredible art on Mr. Medieros.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEiNU-yaz9MhoaiTNI6fq8g0KSqAvi1KeTcgeXiVZfoq2Gj14FGIDiJjAGcxMgc6Kg-nd7r46IAQ9F380W-vZ0YG24ou80P1j3BKDc96CGQ3VG-_C8CBbPBb4ew1gwaEvo4FozjXZ/s1600/scan0004.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466977466455619538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEiNU-yaz9MhoaiTNI6fq8g0KSqAvi1KeTcgeXiVZfoq2Gj14FGIDiJjAGcxMgc6Kg-nd7r46IAQ9F380W-vZ0YG24ou80P1j3BKDc96CGQ3VG-_C8CBbPBb4ew1gwaEvo4FozjXZ/s320/scan0004.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px;" /></a>Having just flown in earlier that day from New York, I most likely would have been a little more hyper-involved with the post-contest mix of book signing (even the subjects featured in Ms. Allen's book were signing the pages on which they appeared) and tattoo admiration among the dozens of contestants and throngs of tattoo fans. But, as 10:00 PM approached, my internal clock was still screaming at me from the Eastern Time Zone yelling "4AM! 4AM!". So i had to bow out a little earlier than I would have liked to.<br /><br />I spent just under five days on Oahu, and was amazed by the amount of tattooed folk I spotted, much more than I remember seeing just a few years earlier. The skyrocketing popularity of tattooing on the mainland is certainly mirrored in the fiftieth state and amplified, it is safe to say, by the deep roots of tattooing in Polynesian culture and history.<br /><br />Nowhere is this more apparent than in the beautiful, glossy pages of Tricia Allen's new book, which receives a ringing endorsement from us here at Tattoosday.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBghQTZzMREEArKzbVrtligYn8aOy2qxLjn-FXNI-mZtV4LUodG9_kF2ecgZhemOtV9fSBvjfZ3ge8Yhq3eUGVp9aKJapZrbIxpdURfI5-CAWOK5tnRQvLis2SzqyH7KqToMxCvUv/s1600/polynesian+tattoo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466969167014956482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBghQTZzMREEArKzbVrtligYn8aOy2qxLjn-FXNI-mZtV4LUodG9_kF2ecgZhemOtV9fSBvjfZ3ge8Yhq3eUGVp9aKJapZrbIxpdURfI5-CAWOK5tnRQvLis2SzqyH7KqToMxCvUv/s400/polynesian+tattoo.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 288px;" /></a><br />The book is no tiny effort. At 285 pages, it features hundreds of full-page color photos of various styles of Polynesian tattoos, not just from Hawai'i, but from all around the South Pacific. In addition, many of the artists who created the work are profiled in the back section of the book.<br /><br />I cannot help but enthusiastically recommend the book to all. It certainly made my flight back to the East Coast a lot more enjoyable. My biggest regret was not being in Hawai'i long enough to be able to have Ms. Allen tattoo me, an activity at the top of my to-do list in the future.<br /><br />One more ringing endorsement comes from Ed Hardy:<span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:medium;" ><em> “This collection of amazing photos attests to the high level of artistic achievement and technical ability of the Polynesian people today, as well as non-islanders who have been heavily influenced by the art of the Pacific.”<br /><br /></em></span>Buy your copy from Tricia's website directly <a href="http://thepolynesiantattoo.com/tattootoday.htm">here</a> and while visiting the site, explore the galleries, sign up for her newsletter, and check out her schedule to see when and where she will be tattooing and/or signing copies of her book in the future.

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i: Tricia Allen's The Polynesian Tattoo Today

This is the first of many posts to follow from my recent trip to the beautiful state of Hawai'i.... On Saturday, April 24, I had the dis...

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The Tattooed Poets Project: A Hand for Joy Harjo

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsB2VoaXj_G-VUQcbnEgz_YyDdqDb2cRpzxMKSRgu50dDEgnC_2qrdjwT9ndoP7D-JF4x2svP2kNvuueBkuyb3wHKEFKXGjkeG2XZLyZbOQjgtp-rk33actInJCjpKU74JO1yrSgynbY/s1600-h/joy1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330414808444406946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsB2VoaXj_G-VUQcbnEgz_YyDdqDb2cRpzxMKSRgu50dDEgnC_2qrdjwT9ndoP7D-JF4x2svP2kNvuueBkuyb3wHKEFKXGjkeG2XZLyZbOQjgtp-rk33actInJCjpKU74JO1yrSgynbY/s400/joy1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />Our last tattoo for National Poetry Month comes to us from the wonderful poet <a href="http://www.joyharjo.com/Home.html">Joy Harjo</a>.<br /><br />I was surprised, to be honest, when Joy agreed to participate, because she seemed so busy. Despite the exchange of messages from her, aside from her permission to be a part of the project, I didn't get a lot of detail about the piece she offered. Fortunately for me and, by extension, Tattoosday readers, she has <a href="http://www.joyharjo.com/Home.html">a website</a> and an explanation about the tattoo there. I am reprinting it here:<br /><br /><div class="paragraph_style_2" style="line-height: 20.9px;"><span class="style_5" style="line-height: 19px;"></span></div><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><div class="paragraph_style_2" style="line-height: 20.9px;"><span class="style_5" style="line-height: 19px;">The tattoo on my hand is a tattoo. It’s not henna. The style is from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquesas_Islands">Marquesas Islands</a>. The Marquesas are north of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahiti">Tahiti</a>.<br /></span></div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="line-height: 20.9px;"><span class="style_5" style="line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.roonui-tattoo.com/">Roonui</a>, a Tahitian artist, did the tattoo freehand in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorea">Moorea</a>, Tahiti. He is now living in Canada. </span><a class="class1" href="http://www.roonui-tattoo.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href); return false;" onkeypress="window.open(this.href); return false;" style="line-height: 19.855px;" title="http://www.roonui-tattoo.com/"><span class="style_6" style="line-height: 20px;"></span></a><span class="style_5" style="line-height: 19px;">It took two-and-a-half hours. (And yes, it hurt.)<br /></span></div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="line-height: 20.9px;"><span class="style_5" style="line-height: 19px;">I’d seen the tattoo there on my hand for sometime. The tattoo represents assistance for my work. I use my hands for music, writing, and everything else I do. The tattoo reminds me of the levels of assistance. I am also carrying a beautiful piece of art with me wherever I go.<br /></span></div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="line-height: 20.9px;"><span class="style_5" style="line-height: 19px;">Roonui says: "Polynesian tattooing is not a simple exercise in aesthetics. Polynesian carve into their body the symbols of their actions (past present or future), their promises, their games."<br /></span></div><div class="paragraph_style_3" style="line-height: 20.9px;"><span class="style_5" style="line-height: 19px;">The part inside my wrist, close to my heart, resembles ancestral designs of my tribal people.</span><span class="style_3" style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div></blockquote>I encourage readers to explore Joy's website (linked above) and to head over to <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/">BillyBlog</a> to read one of her poems <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/tattooed-poets-series-day-30-joy-harjo.html">here</a>.

The Tattooed Poets Project: A Hand for Joy Harjo

Our last tattoo for National Poetry Month comes to us from the wonderful poet Joy Harjo . I was surprised, to be honest, when Joy agreed to ...

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Cat's Ink Pays Homage to Her Experience on the Ocean

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqusxrpQXUCA9Ka3QtPn2Z9a0euXdh6-W1WIYcjhK-30fMGcFJZ_3E3tBbg_cD3EGGby-IZ-6pFoYgBfYHaR2V2n7ua5CXO7RNSdYinLo37kdvGvj54qrmSpPXAdhevC6LwtkCD4-xxMEJ/s1600-h/Cattoo-enhanced-detail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290154822860972002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqusxrpQXUCA9Ka3QtPn2Z9a0euXdh6-W1WIYcjhK-30fMGcFJZ_3E3tBbg_cD3EGGby-IZ-6pFoYgBfYHaR2V2n7ua5CXO7RNSdYinLo37kdvGvj54qrmSpPXAdhevC6LwtkCD4-xxMEJ/s400/Cattoo-enhanced-detail.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 199px;" /></a><br />Over the last few months, I have reconnected with old friends through <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/home.php?ref=logo">Facebook</a>, many of whom I haven't seen in years. In so doing, many have discovered my burgeoning interest in tattoos, and the manifestation of that in Tattoosday. Many of these old friends are inked and I've posted their work here (i.e. this <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/12/michaels-mariachis-celebrate-life-with.html">one</a> form Michael).<br /><br />Today's post comes to us from Catherine, the only person with whom I went to high school <span style="font-weight: bold;">and</span> college.<br /><br />After college, Cat returned to Hawai'i, where she re-connected with the ocean, paddling and, among other things, taking a voyage on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokulea"><em>Hōkūle‘a</em></a>, traversing the sea in the style of the ancient Polynesians who settled on the Hawaiian Islands. That's an oversimplification but, rest assured, the journey is quite different from booking a ticket on a cruise ship.<br /><br />So, it made perfect sense to me when Cat sent me an e-mail with the subject line "Cat's Tat," accompanied by the photo of her ink:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu9smEO28UdFHjUnBqXXLM8Od3SrfBCsCaN0lR-2uFgZSOFu4zF2GMUmP9b-Gqe-e1MbC0ZDIgG2Fgz-gQdcincOK-pRacJZUWOJjosDtB4oMaAwtsH-1IIzNpxi7llUC2wVRGZsYHiy6/s1600-h/Cattoo-enhanced.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290154728040455954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu9smEO28UdFHjUnBqXXLM8Od3SrfBCsCaN0lR-2uFgZSOFu4zF2GMUmP9b-Gqe-e1MbC0ZDIgG2Fgz-gQdcincOK-pRacJZUWOJjosDtB4oMaAwtsH-1IIzNpxi7llUC2wVRGZsYHiy6/s400/Cattoo-enhanced.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" /></a><br />This amazing tribal piece on her lower back pays homage to her love of the ocean and Polynesian culture. I'll let her explain the rest, in her own words:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>I had this done for my birthday a few years ago by <a href="http://tattootraditions.alohaworld.com/">Tricia Allen</a>, who is well recognized for her knowledge of Polynesian tattooing. She's pretty much in demand for work, and is often on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_%28island%29">BIG big island</a> for jobs and conferences. I had known her a little bit while I was taking classes at <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/">UH</a>, and met her again on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapanui">Rapa Nui</a> - we had a mutual friend there. Anyway, she did it in her living room in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palolo">Palolo</a>. I was sitting on a stool, bent over, with my face in a pillow. I was beginning to feel somewhat like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Pavlov">Pavlov's</a> dog, because ever time the buzz started, I'd get tense. She also seemed to enjoy pointing out where nerve clusters were located (owww).<br /><br />Here's the story/reasoning/rationale: I had gotten a small one after our canoe club won the state championship in 1993 - my crew won the "blue ribbon" race for women, having been second all season. Anyway, once I really got into sailing, I wanted to design a new one that represented what I had seen and done in terms of canoes (both sailing and paddling). Canoes and canoe related activities have taken me all over the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_ocean">Pacific</a>: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_Islands">The Society Islands</a> (including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahiti">Tahiti</a>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquesas_Islands">The Marquesas</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangareva">Mangareva</a>, Rapa Nui, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_zealand">New Zealand</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia">Australia</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji">Fiji</a>. It took 7 years of my trying out different designs before I found the concept I liked. I went for a consultation with Tricia, who gave me the idea; the Marquesans often use the idea of the human face, where each feature is a symbol in it's own right. Tricia had given me a diamond-shaped example, and from that I immediately saw what I would do.<br /><br />So - the Marquesan concept, the shape of the <span style="font-style: italic;">hihimanu</span> - ray - represents the twin-peaked mountain of Mangareva. As we approached it from the sea, it looked like a ray emerging from the sea. The eyes are Hawaiian <span style="font-style: italic;">honu</span> - sea turtle, the wings are New Zealand <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maori">Māori</a>-style <span style="font-style: italic;">naia</span> - dolphins, on the sides of the eyes are Rapa Nui <span style="font-style: italic;">makohe</span> - frigate birds (separate story here - not getting into it), the mouth and nose are a double-hulled canoe and sail, with waves on either side, and the tail is supposed to be moons (for navigation and tides) and fishhooks done in a Tahitian style. Kinda ran out of room at the tail end, though! The whole represents <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangaroa">Tangaroa</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanaloa">Kanaloa</a>, who is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesian">Polynesia</a>-wide god of the sea. Not that I've been out there a LOT, but I have been out there...you see the myriad incarnations of Kanaloa: the good, the bad and the truly frightening. I guess the design is in homage of what's out there...<br /><br />Now I'm contemplating the next one. I have some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_islands">Cook Island</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maori">Māori</a> ideas, but I want to go there first. Have also had a few people ask me to design things for them. I have also met maybe three or four others with <span style="font-style: italic;">hihimanu</span> on their lower backs...you see LOTS of tattoos at canoe regattas!<br /></blockquote></div><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mahalo_nui_loa"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mahaloa nui loa</span></a> to Cat for sharing this awesome piece with us here on Tattoosday, and for providing such an in-depth explanation. Truly fascinating and inspiring! We're loking forward to seeing the next one!

Cat's Ink Pays Homage to Her Experience on the Ocean

Over the last few months, I have reconnected with old friends through Facebook , many of whom I haven't seen in years. In so doing, many...

Read more »