Tatau: Sāmoan Tattooing and Photography

Update: Te Papa will be closed to the public from 6pm today, until further notice.

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Tatau: Sāmoan Tattooing and Photography presents the work of four photographers who have documented Sāmoan tattooing over the past 40 years in New Zealand, Sāmoa, the United States, and Europe.

From intimate domestic scenes in suburban garages to street photography, and in relation to themes of religious iconography and female sexuality, the exhibition presents diverse perspectives on tatau. In addition to over 50 photographs, the exhibition includes a small selection of indigenous Sāmoan tattooing tools, and you’ll also hear about tatau’s significance from those who wear these sacred markings.

This exhibition follows the multi-award-winning 2018 book Tatau: A History of Sāmoan Tattooing published by Te Papa Press, and co-authored by Te Papa’s Sean Mallon and French anthropologist Sebastien Galliot.