It took me some time to find someone wearing a Ta Moko, the permanent marking of the skin topical of Maori culture, but finally at the end of my trip I met Meremaihi (Auntie Bimbo). “Wearing a Ta Moko comes with responsibility. You have to be a role model for your community. When I decided to do it, I didn’t just want to scribble my face but rather find the exact drawings that my ancestors wor. Every day I try my best to ‘normalize’ this manifestation of my culture that still scares so many people.”
#maori #ephemera #tamoko #newzealand #portrait #travel #documentary
Taken at: Whakatane, New Zealand