| Similarly, to become an inheritor of such marks, use to only come by way requests from parents and family members ready to subject a younger family member to the painstaking yet deeply symbolic ritual of tatau. For Men, a standard tatau undertaking called malofie covers an entire manās lower torso from knees up to the lower belly and could take months if not years to finish. For women it is named malu. |
Carrying such marks is a prideful gesture and shows commitment to Faāasamoa or the Samoan Way of Life. This coming July 30, 2016, the Japaneseās American National Museum (JANM) is set to follow the success of Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in the Modern World exhibit with yet another authoritative showcase on traditional tattoos. Mr. Takahiro Kitamura, the famed curator of Perseverance, comes back to spearhead yet another fascinating exhibit on the same subject. The upcoming exhibit entitled Tatau: Marks of Polynesia, highlights one of the worldās most enduring tattoo legacies manifested through works by surviving masters or Tufuga ta tataus.
The exhibit brings to life the tatau traditions from two of the prominent Samoan lineages practicing their cultureās highly revered craft of tattooingāthe Tulouāena and the Suāa family. The Suāa practice the Tatau on Upolu while the Tulouāena does so on Savaiāi. The Suluāape family, under the Suāa name, is among the many artists featured in Tatau. Namely, the prominent Suāa Suluāape Alaivaāa Petelo, Suāa Suluāape Peter, Suāa Suluāape Paul Jr., Suāa Suluāape Aisea Toetuāu, Suluāape Steve Looney, Tuigamala Andy Tauafiafi, Mike Fatutoa, and Los Angeles-based Suluāape Siāi Liufau.
Suluāape Siāi Liāfau who enthused about the impending unveiling of Tatau has played an active role in the culmination of the exhibit. We spoke to Tufuga Liāfau briefly about the upcoming Exhibit.
How did you get involved with Tatau: Marks of Polynesia?
Mr. Kitamura has had the idea for this project about the same time as Perseverance was being planned. As one of the most widely recognizable tattooing cultures, we knew early on that we were going to execute the Tatau, it was just a question of when.
How did you first get started? And how long did it take for you to get your Suluāape title?
Ironically, I started learning about the tatau craft because I was motivated to finish a bad tattoo that was started on me, 10 years ago. The duration of finishing an apprecentiship varies for each student. It took me about 7 years of apprenticeship to be bestowed the title of Tufuga a Tatau or Suluāape. Mainly because, geographically I didnāt live close to a Suluāape, so I had to travel back and forth to Polynesia to continuously to complete my education.
Do you have a malofie yourself?
I do have a malofie done by Suāa Suluāape Lafaele in 2009.
Where were you born? And where do you live?
I was born in St Josephās Hospital in Orange County, CA. My Samoan father and my mother who was a German girl from Minnesota raised me in the OC. (He owns A-Town Tattoo off Brookhurst Street and Garden Grove Boulevard).
When youāre not doing tattoos what do you do?
I enjoy fishing, surfing, and hanging out with my kids (He had just finished watching his daughterās basketball game before this interview).
āIām looking forward to introducing Los Angeles residence, to an aspect of the Samoan culture that our people are very proud ofā declared Siāi Lifau. Particularly, the exhibit will feature the works of notable elder Suāa Suluāapes āand it is such an honor to have their works on displayā said Siāi Lifau.
Whereas contemporary methods and diaspora have influenced the art of tatau significantly, the practice goes back some 2000 years ago, through some of the most beautiful works of Samoan Suluāapes. The densely symbolic works of the modern day Suluāapes showcased through captivating photographs of their subjects. There is only about a dozen or so Suluāapes the world over. Most of whom reside in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and islands across Polynesia.
Tatau: Marks of Polynesia will be open to the public from July 30, 2016 to January 8, 2017.
Through the duration of the exhibit, there will be lectures, performances, and special viewings for the audience to get involved with. The exhibit aims to replicate the success of Perseverance by possibly transforming this exhibit into a traveling one. āHopefully, we can feature a female Tufuga in the next exhibit, that would be really amazingā added Siāi Lifau.
