Vaka Fai Olo (canoe tattoo carving) An Exhibit of Diasporic Rotuman Art

Vaka Fai Olo
(canoe tattoo carving)
An Exhibit of Diasporic Rotuman Art
Mendocino Art Center
Aug 8 – Sept 8
Opening: August 8th, 5-8pm
A Multisensory Celebration with Tea, Libations, Audio Installation & Artisanal Incense

Mendocino Art Center

Artist Statement
~Wood spirits live where termites fear to tread~
This exhibit of diasporic Rotuman art recontemplates the future with traditional Polynesian hand chiseling on a variety of rare woods, from Asiatic teak to Hawaiian sandalwood and ironwood, in conjunction with Hungarian and French oak wine casks, all tattooed in contemporary and traditional motifs, emblazoned with ancestry and whispering a potency beyond the threshold cambium layers, lilting into the timeless realm of the Va’a, an outrigger canoe of stability.