Te Papa, New Zealand's national museum, is showcasing the largest canon of photographic works on Samoan tattooing the country has seen.
Tatau: Sāmoan Tattooing and Photography presents the work of Mark Adams, Greg Semu, John Agcaoili and Angela Tiatia who have been documenting the practice over the past 40 years.
Their work explores the globalisation of Tatau from its beginnings in the cradle of Polynesia.
The exhibition follows the award-winning book Tatau: A History of Sāmoan Tattooing co-authored by Te Papa's Sean Mallon and French anthropologist Sebastien Galliot.
Sean Mallon curated the show and took Dominic Godfrey for a walk through.
Te Papa's senior curator Pacific Cultures, Sean Mallon. Photo: Te Papa / Kate Whitley
