“Tatau: Marks of Polynesia” at Bishop Museum features the art, history and cultural significance of Samoan tattoos through a series of photographs by John Agcaoili. Pictured is the tattoo artwork of ...

I lay on the mat of the open-air bungalow in Apia, Samoa, looking up at a gecko. As its tail quivered, I felt a sympathetic twitch in my leg. Su’a Sulu’ape Paulo III, the sixth-generation Samoan ...

The crowd flocked to the upper-level balconies of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts’ great hall, trying to get a glimpse of an ‘ava ceremony — what one speaker called the “highest gesture of respect” in ...

Samoan tattoo artist Sua Sula’ape Peter, who created this tattoo, is one of the artists highlighted in “Tatau: Marks of Polynesia,” opening Nov. 13 at Bishop Museum. The variety and creativity in ...

Hi! I'm Morgan, and I'm a 30-year-old Samoan woman. Morgan Sloss / BuzzFeed Even if you don't know much about Samoan culture, you've likely seen or heard about our tattoos. Fun fact: the English word ...

I lay on the mat of the open-air bungalow in Apia, Samoa, looking up at a gecko. As its tail quivered, I felt a sympathetic twitch in my leg. Su’a Sulu’ape Paulo III, the sixth-generation Samoan ...

The exhibition runs through Jan. 8, 2017. Samoan tattoos, known as tatau, date back roughly 2,000 years. In addition to decorating the body, tatau historically had a societal role, signifying rank and ...

I lay on the mat of the open-air bungalow in Apia, Samoa, looking up at a gecko. As its tail quivered, I felt a sympathetic twitch in my leg. Su’a Sulu’ape Paulo III, the sixth-generation Samoan ...

In a village in Savai’i, Tiatia Fiamatai awaits the arrival of Samoan tattoo artist, Peni Soso. Tiatia’s body already displays the full traditional Samoan tattoo, which covers his skin from knees to ...

In the 1800s, a chief in the South Pacific archipelago of Samoa sought medical aid from a Christian missionary stationed there. The missionary, a Scotsman by the name of George Archibald Lundie, urged ...

It goes without saying that these days, tattoos are everywhere. And while societal acceptance of ink has ebbed and flowed, many people who spend hours in tattoo parlors adding to their growing ...

I lay on the mat of the open-air bungalow in Apia, Samoa, looking up at a gecko. As its tail quivered, I felt a sympathetic twitch in my leg. Su’a Sulu’ape Paulo III, the sixth-generation Samoan ...