Sui Faiga ae Tumau Fa’avae
City Gallery Wellington | Te Whare Toi
Deane Gallery, 10 August–7 October 2012
In Fa’a Sāmoa customary traditions, the discovery of tatau (tattooing) is commonly associated with the story of Taema and Tilafaiga, two sisters who travelled to Fiji and returned reciting a song instructing only women of high social status to be tattooed. At some stage, the song changed, instructing men of rank to be tattooed. Subsequently, the male pe’a and female malu (tattoos of the legs and torso) became markers of prestige and status. Tatau artists are revered as tufuga tatatau (master tattooists). Today, a new generation of artists are developing new modes of tatau that cater to the needs and desires of migrant and urbanised Pacific communities.
The artists in Sui Faiga ae Tumau Fa’avae work in a shared space on the corner of Dixon and Victoria Street, in Wellington. One group, Taupou Tatau, specialises in contemporary Pacific tatau, design, and graffiti art. The other, Killa Kutz, is a barber crew who specialise in urban Pacific hair styling. The artists perform tatau and hair-styling demonstrations daily. The show's title expressed the hope that contemporary approaches can uphold tradition while responding to the realities of urban life.
The following text is taken from the catalogue essay that accompanied the exhibition:
Sui faiga ae tumau fa’avae
By Reuben Friend
Pacific coming-of-age ceremonies have for centuries involved the ceremonial tattooing of the body. The painful nature of this process is a test of physical and psychological fortitude, signifying a transition within the individual and marking their graduation into a position of leadership.
In Samoan culture, the male pe'a and female malu (tattooing of the legs and torso) are customarily markers of prestige that enhance the social standing of the individual and their family. The artists who perform these tatau (tattoos) are revered for their expertise and artistry and they are often afforded a special status within the community as tufuga tatatau (master tattoo artists).
Today a new generation of tatau artists have developed the traditional practices of tufuga tatatau to create a new artform that caters to the needs and desires of migrant Pacific communities. This new mode of tatau combines customary patterning and symbolism with contemporary design, creating new innovative designs that speak both to a person's cultural heritage as well as the contemporary realities of living in a metropolitan society.
One recent development is the taulima, a thin band of patterning commonly tattooed around the bicep or forearm. The taulima took the pe'a patterning of the thighs and buttocks and relocated them to a part of the body more commonly exposed in urban settings.
Over the last decade, the taulima has grown in size to envelop the entire arm and chest area, creating a sleeve version of the pe'a. This style of tatau has become increasingly popular over the last decade, due partly to its endorsement by sporting celebrities like Sonny Bill Williams and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
For a younger generation of Pacific people this form of tatau has become an expression of urban Pacific identity: it links its wearers to the traditions and heritage of Polynesia and equally responds to current concepts of style and beauty. The three tatau artists in this exhibition provide this offering to their community. Their art is a visual manifestation of fa'a samoa (the Samoan way) and Pacific identity as it exists today.
The elder of this group, Tuigamala Andy Tauafiafi (b. 1977), is a New Zealand-born artist of Samoan descent. In 1999 he gained a Diploma in Visual Arts from Whitireia Polytechnic in Porira and in 2003 he completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland. After completing his studies he spent some time travelling and in 2005, with the encouragement of tattoo artist Steve Ma Ching, began to focus on tattooing as a profession. Ma Ching became his mentor and invited Tauafiafi to work at Western Tattoos in Auckland where he refined his skills over four years. Tauafiafi's designs frequently incorporate Samoan tatau patterning with elements from other cultures to create one-off works of art, a style he describes as 'contemporary Polynesian.
In 2008 Tauafiafi was honoured to receive his pe'a from tufuga tatatau Sua Sulu'ape Petelo. Tauafiafi recalls it as a painful process, but one that was made bearable by sharing the experience with his brother, who received his pea at the same time. The Sulu'ape family are highly regarded tatau artists, respected throughout Polynesia for their role in maintaining tatau traditions. New Zealand painter Tony Fomison famously received his pe'a from Su'a Sulu'ape Paulo I in 1979, and although Fomison did not have any Samoan heritage, it symbolised his personal sense of belonging to the Pacific. In this exhibition, Tauafiafi is joined by another member of the Suluape family, tufuga tatatau Paul Junior Sulu'ape, who came to New Zealand from Samoa to take part in the exhibition and demonstrate his knowledge of the 'au ta, the traditional technique of tapping pigment into the skin via a comb chisel.
In 2011 Tauafiafi opened his own studio, Taupou Tatau, on the corner of Dixon and Victoria Streets in Wellington. The studio comprises of fellow tatau artist Ishmael Jaco J' Augustine Schmidt, graffiti and tatau artist Bryan 'Juse One' Visala and the Killa Kut Krew barber collective. Together they have an array of skills, from tatau and other tattooing to graffiti art and hip hop-inspired hair cuts and styling
Tauafiafi's fellow tatau artist Ishmael Jaco Augustine Schmidt (b. 1984) was born and raised in Samoa. He moved to New Zealand in 1993 and was schooled at St Patrick's College. In 2004 he was introduced to tattoo art while studying Visual Communication Design in Digital Media and Illustration at Massey University in Wellington. Discontinuing his studies, Schmidt immediately changed his focus to tattooing and began working full time at Tattoo City in Wellington in 2009. There he learned a variety of tattoo skills from portraiture and illustrations, to various styles of Pacific tatau. In 2011 he became part of the Taupou Tatau collective. Schmidt, an accomplished tattooist in his own right, says he is honoured to expand his personal repertoire of tatau designs under the mentorship of Tauafiafi and tufuga tatatau such as the Sulu'ape family.
For graffiti artist Bryan 'Juse One' Visala (b. 1980). the transition into tatau led to an interesting blend of hip hop and Pacific imagery. Visala, the reigning New Zealand freestyle rap champion, sees many parallels between hip hop culture and Samoan culture. Both revolve around music, dance, spoken word and visual arts-artforms used to tell stories and relay knowledge.
Visala has performed on stage with international hip hop artists including 50 Cent, Nas, De La Soul and many others. As an MC, he can be seen as a tulafale, an orator, one who speaks of the struggles and aspirations of migrant communities in New Zealand. His interactions with international MCs have also enabled Visala to work with leading international graffiti artists such as Charli 2na, Cantwo, Teal Steel, Dayz1 and Mr Wiggles. These experiences have given Visala an in depth knowledge of hip hop art and culture that has informed his personal art practice.
His unique and experimental style has quickly gained international attention and was recently featured in the international publication Graffiti Tattoo Volume2 by Alan Ket and Don Karl. The book features internationally recognised graffiti art tattooists, of which Visala is the only South Pacific artist represented.
Together the artists of Taupou Tatau represent a local manifestation of a wider international movement towards an urban expression of contemporary Pacific art, tatau, music and fashion. However, while these traditions are influenced by current fashions and design trends, the cultural obligations that accompany them remain. To adorn your body with tatau is to saddle yourself with the responsibilities of leadership. It is a rite of passage that comes loaded with expectations: once adorned the wearer must leave behind aspects of their past and take up a renewed post in their community as an ambassador of the culture.
The artists of Taupou Tatau and Killa Kutz will be performing tatau demonstrations and art hair cuts in the Deane Gallery for Mãori and Pacifio Art at City Gallery Wellington for eight weeks from Friday 10 August to Sunday 7 October 2012, excluding Sundays.
Bookings can be made through their website http://taupoutatau.com or email info@taupoutatau.com
Reuben Friend
Curator of Mãori and Pacific Arts
