When Tatau was first published in 2010, Mark Adams’ renowned images documenting a great Polynesian art tradition were a revelation. It told the story of the late Sulu‘ape Paulo II, the pre-eminent figure of modern Sāmoan tattooing. A brilliantly innovative and often controversial man, he saw tatau as an art of international importance. Tatau documented his practice, and that of other , in the contexts of Polynesian tattooing, Sāmoan migrant communities and New Zealand art.
Long out-of-print, this revised and extended new edition, with its handsome large format and texts by distinguished scholars, makes a cultural treasure available once more.
