Moko, or the Maori art of facial or body tattooing, is undergoing a renaissance as New Zealand’s Maori people reassert their tribal identity.
For hundreds of years, Maori moko has been an expression of personal history, pride, social and tribal identity, and whakapapa (ancestry). From 1907 to 1962, moko was a forbidden art, revitalized by Maori to counter laws denying them access to their lands, language, customs and beliefs. Complex and distinctive, these curvilinear, monochromatic tattoos are marks of prestige and honor for Maori men and women.
The decision to wear moko is a major commitment and involves the subject’s family and iwi (tribe). Enhancing the contours of the face and body, each moko design is unique, belonging to the individual physically and intellectually, and may take years to create.
Hans Neleman is a New York-based photographer whose work has appeared in exhibitions worldwide.
Peabody Essex Museum
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