Tattoos open windows into cultural and social worlds, enabling us to see the history of humanity through the skin itself.
They are markers of belonging and difference, can represent life narratives and personal histories, can be social registers of cultural identity or artistic expression embedded in lived experience.
Tattooing is a rich historical practice, not merely a modern trend, a human expression that spans thousands of years and is present from Egypt and the Americas to Asia and Polynesia.
Therefore, it is not only a matter of “Does it hurt?” or “What does it mean?”, but to see tattoos as a medium of image-making and expression that reveals how people understood themselves and their communities.
In his book “Corpi dipinti” Matt Lodder, rather than focusing solely on technical or aesthetic aspects, uses 21 individual tattoo stories to reveal how tattoos have served as powerful markers of identity, belief, social position, loyalty, rebellion, love, and memory across different times and places.
In some periods tattoos were associated with criminals or marginal populations, while in others they appeared on aristocrats and soldiers alike, suggesting tattoos carried widely varying social connotations. Tattooing was known in Renaissance and Early Modern Europe with evidence that Europeans tattooed long before colonial contact: nobility and explorers picked up tattooing from other cultures.
Through vivid portraits of both famous (from Ötzi the Iceman to modern figures like NBA player Dennis Rodman) and lesser-known tattooed individuals, Lodder places the body at the center of cultural history. Tattoos become a lens through which he interprets how societies perceive the self, the sacred, and the social. Ultimately, the book argues that the act of marking one’s body is one of the most intimate forms of communication and artistic expression, reflecting the evolving human condition.
In 2025, the M-Cube Foundation met the Maōri people in Rotorua and Picton (New Zealand)… and now, it is now time for the Six Nations Championship, one of the most prestigious annual international rugby union tournaments in the world.
In Māori culture, Tā moko carries layers of meaning that go far beyond decoration or status and it is probably one of the most profound and complex forms of body art in the world.
Tā moko refers to their traditional practice of carving and marking the skin with intricate patterns, especially on the face, buttocks, and thighs. Unlike ordinary tattooing, which punctures the skin, traditional tā moko used chisels called uhi to carve grooves into the skin, leaving ridged patterns.
The facial moko — moko kanohi — is the most important form. For Māori, the face is the most sacred part of the body (te wahi tapu), so marking it permanently was a powerful act of identity and mana (spiritual authority, prestige, integrity).
A moko told the story of a person’s genealogy (whakapapa), tribal affiliations (iwi, hapū), social rank, achievements, and life journey.
Each curve, line, and spiral carried meaning — it was a living record of ancestry and belonging, read almost like a map of one’s life and lineage.
Men’s moko (moko kanohi) often cover the entire face, divided into distinct zones, each representing a part of personal and ancestral identity (for example, the center lines for descent, the cheeks for work or position, the temples for marital status).
Women’s moko (moko kauae) traditionally appear on the chin and lips, representing spiritual strength, connection to ancestry, and leadership roles within the community.
During the colonial period, especially the 19th and early 20th centuries, tā moko was suppressed by missionaries and colonial authorities, who viewed it as pagan or barbaric. The practice nearly disappeared by the early 1900s, surviving mainly in memory, photographs, and a few isolated elders.
From the 1980s onward, however, tā moko underwent a powerful cultural revival, part of the broader Māori Renaissance. Contemporary tā moko artists now use both traditional and modern tools, reviving ancient symbolism while adapting it to new forms of living art – a sacred and political statement of Māori identity. It is not a case if many Māori women are reclaiming the moko kauae as an assertion of cultural pride and identity.
And for Māori rugby players, tā moko is much more than a personal decoration. Rugby, as New Zealand’s most prominent sport, has become a global stage where Māori culture is both visible and celebrated. Many Māori All Blacks players display moko symbolizing their lineage (whakapapa), tribal heritage (iwi), and personal achievements, but also serve as a living bridge between tradition and modern sport. When Māori players enter the field, especially during the haka (the traditional ceremonial challenge performed before matches) their tattoos visually amplify the power, authority, and spiritual significance of the moment. The moko works alongside the haka as a cultural signal.
Some players, such as Piri Weepu or Aaron Smith, have embraced their moko as part of their public persona, demonstrating resilience, spiritual grounding, and respect for their whakapapa while performing at the highest level of professional sport.
Through this interplay of tattoos and sport, Māori heritage is actively transmitted to younger generations, inspiring pride, belonging, and respect for traditional arts. Rugby thus becomes more than a game: it is a medium for living cultural expression, where Māori identity literally and symbolically shows on the body.
In 2026 it will be the time to meet Ainu people in Japan for a new important project about EU and Ainu youth empowerment and decolonization practices in museums.
The Ainu are the Indigenous people of Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. Traditionally, Ainu tattoos (called “matanpushi” for men and “hwakamui” / “shidare” for women’s facial tattoos) were ritualistic, protective, and identity-marking.
In the Ainu culture, the most distinctive are chin tattoos, applied to girls starting around puberty. The chin tattoo usually consisted of a small line or series of lines along the lips, sometimes extending to the chin, often combined with finger tattoos.
Men’s tattoos are less common and often located on hands, arms, or the chest.
Ainu tattoos had multiple intertwined purposes: they marked the transition from girlhood to womanhood and were thought to protect the wearer from evil spirits and bring good fortune. Tattooed women were considered eligible for marriage, and tattoos indicated familial and cultural belonging. Many patterns reflected nature motifs, linking people to animals, plants, and gods central to Ainu cosmology.
Traditional Ainu tattooing used fine needles and soot-based ink, applied in small, precise lines. The procedure was painful and often accompanied by rituals, prayers, and songs, reinforcing the sacred character of the practice.
As well as for Maori, from the late 19th century onward, Ainu tattoos were forbidden under Japanese assimilation policies, especially after the Meiji Restoration. Missionaries and authorities considered them “uncivilized,” and the practice nearly disappeared by the early 20th century. Only a few women kept the tradition into the 1940s, and today, it exists primarily in archival photos, artifacts, and written records, many preserved by ethnologists like Bronisław Piłsudski.
And today, Ainu tattoos are a symbol of cultural revival and resilience. Scholars, museums, and Ainu communities study historical tattoos to reconnect with lost traditions, celebrate Indigenous identity, and educate about cultural heritage.