My recent trip to Mo'orea, French Polynesia, to attend the Traditional Tatau Festival 2018

I recently traveled to Tahiti and Mo’orea with a group of 30 other Māori artists and cultural practitioners from Aotearoa, New Zealand. I was thrilled to be invited and to work alongside so many amazing artists. We had an amazing time and the local manaakitanga was beautiful, I was so grateful to meet and connect with so many locals.

I love the local people and whenua and am looking to returning to French Polynesia in future.

I was super inspired by the Tahitian style of tattooing that I saw there, and I was so impressed by so many of the local artists who do brilliant work.

Returning to Tahiti this 12-19 September for the 'Tatau i Mo'orea Festival' wahoooo!

I visited Tahiti for the first time in February 2016.

I will be in French Polynesia again this 12-19 September 2018, to participate in the cultural tatau festival happening on Mo'orea. I will be traveling with a group of approximately 30 different multi talented artists and cultural practitioners from Aotearoa and i'm really looking forward to it!

I'm also looking forward to getting tattooed myself at this festival!

For all Mo'orea bookings please complete the booking form: HERE.

Tahiti was magical, my first time visiting French Polynesia + a new poem

In February 2017 my partner and I spent a magical week in Tahiti. Visiting Taputapuatea and Raiatea was a real highlight and special moment in time for me. Catching up with a friend who is a leading Tahitian tatau specialist was enlightening and fun too, and I learned a lot! I hope to spend more time exploring French Polynesia in future.

Here's a poem that I wrote when I was in Tahiti, inspired by what I saw, felt, learned and experienced there.

Niu life
The foundation
Lay it right
And your life will flourish
This land does nourish
Everything it touches

Coconut bread
Coconut milk
Coconut flesh
Coconut candy floss
Nature is the boss

Magical plants
Fish in the spring
I can hear the tūpuna sing

Spring water
In it, I have a shower
This land has power

Burn the fire all day long
In paradise
Oh it's so nice
I can't complain
I don't complain
You shouldn't complain either

Tama tū tama ora
Work and sweat in the heat of the day
This way of life is a good way
Go to bed when the sun goes down
Wake up with the sunrise
And listen to the birds cries

We have everything we need here
This rangatira told me
Not ariki
But rangatira
With dirt on his hands and machete

We need very little money
The fenua provides all the food you need
And a house for you and your family
What more could you want?
When you're living in paradise

Nature people
Nature man
He has a GOOD plan
To live off the land
He's planting his trees
Pulling the weeds
And saving his fees
From the tatau of the tūpuna he sees
I see them too

Everything we need is right here
In this land
In these trees

Rebel against the system
Save your money so you can be independent
And free
Don't be greedy

Time goes so slow
No stress
Taro ice-cream and banana pie
How many different varieties of bananas?
And mangoes?
What day is it?
How long have we been here?
Doesn't matter

All that matters is what kind of food shall we gather
And prepare together
With these grateful hands
For our next meal?

I can climb this maunga like my tūpuna before me
If they can do it, so can I

And so we did

'Kaitiakitanga' by Taryn Beri. Wai (water) and manu (bird) designs feature in this artwork about the importance of caring for our natural environment. We must all be kaitiaki (guardians) of the earth, water and entire natural world if it is to continue to support life as we know it. The manu (bird) designs in this artwork can also symbolically represent significant kaitiaki (guardians) for the owner/viewer of the work. Click on the image to buy your own 'Kaitiakitanga' canvas.