Tavana Salmon (13 January 1920 – 24 September 2024) was a French Polynesian culture advocate and tattoo artist.[1] In 1982, he began his contributions to Polynesian culture through his tattoo practice.[2]
Tavana Salmon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 January 1920 |
| Died | 24 September 2024 (aged 104) |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation(s) | Culture advocate Tattoo artist |
Biography
editBorn on 13 January 1920 in Papeete, Salmon had a Tahitian mother and American father. He moved to Hawaii at the age of three and attended school there and performed shows in Waikiki for 17 years. He also appeared in a film, The Bounty, which was about the mutiny on the Bounty. In 1982, he returned to Polynesia to begin his tattoo practice.[3] That year, over 100 people were tattooed, with 150 the following year.[4] At the start of the revival, there were very few people on Tahiti who had the traditional tattoos.[5] He personally tattooed ten people a day for ten years straight.[6] He made appearances in the documentary films Tatau, le renouveau du tatouage (2007)[7] and Tatau, la culture d'un art (2015).[8][9]
Salmon died on 24 September 2024, at the age of 104.[10]
References
edit- ^ "N° 84 – Tavana Salmon, portrait d'un trésor vivant". Hiroa (in French). 28 August 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ "À Paea, Tavana Salmon a fêté ses 102 ans". Tahiti Nui Television (in French). 14 January 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ Galliot, Sebatstien (2019). Le tatouage Samoan - Un rite Polynésien dans l'histoire (in French). Paris: French National Centre for Scientific Research. p. 383. ISBN 9782271126900.
- ^ Saura, Bruno (2013). Tahiti ma'ohi Culture, identité, religion et nationalisme en Polynésie française (in French). Papeete: Au vent des îles. p. 532. ISBN 9782367340234.
- ^ Ellis, Juniper (2008). Tattooing the World Pacific Designs in Print & Skin. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 275. ISBN 9780231143691.
- ^ Kuwuhara, Makiko (2020). Tattoo An Anthropology. Abingdon-on-Thames: Taylor & Francis. p. 290. ISBN 9781000323634.
- ^ "TATAU, le renouveau du tatouage". Jour J. productions (in French).
- ^ "Tatau, la culture d'un art". france.tv (in French).
- ^ "Tatau, la culture d'un art - Trailer - 12è FIFO Tahiti (2015)". YouTube (in French). 30 January 2015.
- ^ Chang, David (24 September 2024). "Décès de Tavana Salmon, le départ d'un « monument » de la culture". Polynésie la 1ère (in French). Retrieved 25 September 2024.