Featured Art: Indigenous Body Art

Indigenous Body Art

Our youngest contributor, Jessi Shakarian, always brings us an interesting perspective. This month, she delves into indigenous cultures and the role of body art…

Tattoos have a very important presence in indigenous cultures. In New Zealand, they are used to identify a person’s strength; in Polynesian society, they are used to identify status within the social hierarchy. In Aztec culture, it was used in a religious setting, to show devotion to a particular god.

Today, Aztec tattoos live on, but not always in the original intention. The image shown here is a tattoo of the Aztec calendar. They are, however, a work of art, no denying that. But today, it is now about the symbolism of a once great society that dissapeared under the weight of the Spanish conquest. They live on everyday in the indigenous culture in Mexico, through the indigenous bloodline and draw strength from their histories. For some, it’s all about reconnecting with their Mexican roots, to a time when the land was theirs. But whatever the reason an individual decides to ink themselves, it draws attention to a much larger (and often less discussed) issue, the art and beauty of the indigenous cultures. Specifically, how art is used in such a practical medium, whereas in Western Society, only in the last century has it developed into something that could even begin to relate to the way indigenous peoples use art and body art.

 

by Jessica Shakarian

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