This is a series of portraits of high chiefs and tattoo artists taken during a recent trip to Tahiti. Polynesian people believe that a person’s “mana”, their spiritual power or life force, is displayed through their tattoo. These designs are specific to each person, representing their lives and family, which is why it’s so important to understand what you are doing when you tattoo this Polynesian style. Today, these tattoos are often copied incorrectly, which can be very offensive to the families they belong to.
