Gian Paolo Barbieri. Tahiti Tattoos: the new international Schiffer edition
Tahiti Tattoos: An Illustrated History of Tahiti’s Ancient Tattoo Traditions is the new international English-language edition of Gian Paolo Barbieri’s celebrated project dedicated to Polynesian tattooing.
Born from Barbieri’s experience in Tahiti, the project grew out of the photographer’s encounter with a cultural universe profoundly different from that of the Western world. Through his lens, Tahitian tatau emerges not simply as body decoration, but as a true visual language: every line, motif and composition is connected to a story, a sense of belonging, and a spiritual and social dimension.
Barbieri’s photographs convey the sculptural power of bodies and the marks that cross them, transforming the skin into a surface upon which memory is preserved and transmitted. The volume explores the origins of Tahitian tattooing, the meanings of its symbols, the traditional tools and pigments used, and the role of tattooing in rituals and significant stages of community life.
The history of tatau is also a history of transformation and resilience. With the arrival of European missionaries between the 18th and 19th centuries, the practice of tattooing was progressively suppressed, putting the tradition at risk of disappearing. It nevertheless survived and, in contemporary times, has undergone an important process of revival and renewed appreciation led by artists and custodians of Tahitian culture.
Through the images of Gian Paolo Barbieri and contributions by Raymond Graffe and Luisa Gnecchi, Tahiti Tattoos thus conveys the complexity of a tradition capable of transcending generations.
The Tahiti Tattoos project occupies a significant place in Gian Paolo Barbieri’s exploration of Polynesian culture. First published in 1989 by Fabbri Editore, the work was subsequently republished by Taschen in 1998. In 2023, 24 ORE Cultura released a new edition, also enriched with previously unpublished photographs from Barbieri’s archive. In 2026, the project returns to the international scene with its first English-language edition, published by Schiffer Publishing.
📖 Tahiti Tattoos
Schiffer Publishing
Available from 28 September 2026
120 pages | 90 duotone and black-and-white images
Hardcover
ISBN 9780764372179