§ Symbol
Ocean
Moana
Polynesia at large
The ocean (moana) symbolises life, origin and the road in Polynesian culture, where the sea was the route between islands rather than a border.
§ How I draw it
2 original drawings
None of these drawings gets tattooed as it is. They're the starting point: in the consultation the motif is adapted to your anatomy and to the rest of the piece.
§ Meaning
Life, origin, the road.
For the peoples of the Pacific the ocean was never a border but a road. Moana is what connects the islands, what feeds you and where the ancestors came from. In a Polynesian piece, water is the element that joins all the others.
Waves speak of continuity and change: they keep coming whatever happens. Lines of still water, by contrast, speak of calm and daily life.
It's the motif that best resolves the transitions in a large composition, because it can narrow, widen and change direction without ever stopping being recognisable.
§ How it's drawn
Two registers: parallel wavy lines for still water, and solid curved crests in a row for swell.
§ Works well with
Interested in a piece with the ocean?
In the consultation we work out how it fits your body and your story.
Book a consultation →