“It’s a form of self-expression, it’s a form of identification, but mostly for me it’s a form of communicating with my ancestors.”
Face tattoos are often associated with, who have become prolific for using them to stake a claim in their identity, establishing themselves on the social media map to build a music career. However, Elu’s work in the tattoo medium is about reclaiming generations' worth of stolen identity and reinvigorating an art form that was established many lifetimes ago.
“It feels like a huge deal to know that your nieces, nephews, your kids, and your cousins can all look up to you and visually see and be reminded that we are Māori and that this is theirs as well,” she says. She received her moko alongside her sister and mother, who accompanied her on this unforgettable spiritual journey. “That’s three moreWhere Elu and Taylor-Rose, and on a larger scale their Kurdish and Māori identities, converge is that their face tattoos are proof of survival.
Inquiring minds often want to know the meaning of cultural face tattoos, but divulging that truth is the prerogative of the wearer. Among videos of Inuit throat singing and kunik, TikTok creator Shina Novalinga shared her journey of receiving face markings as an Inuk woman. Several comments remind people that she doesn’t owe them an explanation of the meaning.
That statement rings true for Elu. After spending time in Thailand and witnessing the thriving sak yant tattoo culture, she was spurred forward into her own awakening, researching any tradition she could link to her ancestry. The revival of Deq tattoo art brings her a sense of whanaungatanga in connecting with her kin, although she doesn’t know them.
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