Keone Nunes, Master Hawaiian Tattooist - Pacific Worlds

Well-known Hawaiian traditional tattooist Keone Nunes helped OMCA to conceptualize the tattoo section in the Pacific Worlds exhibition, so we were delighted to meet him in person this fall. Nunes visited California in September and October in part because he was asked to tattoo Native Californians in the Arcata area with their own ancestral designs. His visit was a follow up to a first trip a dozen years ago, and Nunes said he sees these invitations as an enormous honor and responsibility. At OMCA, Nunes toured Pacific Worlds and sat down with us to speak about his tattoo practice, what it means to carry traditional knowledge forward to the future, and how tattooing is an expression of sovereignty.
Pacific Worlds is on view through January 3, 2016.

[@heatherjo989]

Dude Always gets me Chee HOO!
ML&R
Hope to see him why there
Mahalo for the upload brah
Shaka 🏄 💘

[@ButacuPpucatuB]

Mahalo nui loa!!!!

[@peggyt5409]

I love his perspective about the artifacts losing mana from being far from home for so long.

[@cookiesncreamcreamm1733]

at 0:36 its a Samoan tattoo called the tatau

[@bino5kxpone]

It’s called Pe’a. Tatau is the overall name.

[@daddydoe7376]

Tatau in Hawaiian is kakau we no more T in our alphabet

[@cookiesncreamcreamm1733]

and 0:39 Samoan tattoo for girls called malu

[@KaliMaaaaa]

These are primarily Samoan designs. Hawaiian Tattoo died off years ago. Every "Hawaiian" "Master" has went to study overseas with Tahitian (and esp. Marq. Island) Tattooist who are the real masters as they never stopped tattooing ever after the French arrived. Him speaking on cultural appropriation is laughable considering he is using Tahitian design as well.

[@dalastkanakamaoli9058]

Lmao your a clown

[@savagegod707]

Especially since he’s not even Kanaka Maoli. Kahuna hoopunipuni 100%

[@sillau9]

Samoans were the one who never stopped the tradition and kept it alive and revived it back in the Pacific Polynesia..