TATAU: Sāmoan Tattooing, Cosmopolitans, Global Culture
Closes
Aug 16, 2025Posted on
Aug 6, 2025Event type:
Art , Exhibition , Public Program , Seminar ,Price:
FreeVenue:
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o TāmakiAddress:
Wellesley Street East, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010Region:
Auckland ,Written by
Join Te Papa Senior Curator of Pacific Cultures Sean Mallon as he explores the significance and impact of tatau, its deep-rooted connections to identity, power and gender, and its evolution in the face of colonialism, cultural appropriation and globalisation.
Bio
Sean Mallon specialises in the social and cultural history of Pacific peoples in New Zealand. He is the author of Tatau: A History of Sāmoan Tattooing (2017) with Sébastien Galliot, and is currently researching issues relating to the agency and activism of Pacific peoples in museums. View Sean’s publications on Google Scholar.
This event is related to photographs in the exhibition Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua on Level 2 and aligns with the exhibition’s closing weekend.
Image credits: Mark Adams, 30.06.1985. Chalfont Crescent. Mangere. Tamaki Makaurau Auckland. Jim Taofinu‘u. Tufuga tatatau: Su‘a Sulu‘ape Paulo II
Sean Mallon's image - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Book now: https://tix.aucklandartgallery.com/events/019839b3-c25d-c1d2-ec87-e5424111576a