§ Symbol
Sun
Rā
Polynesia at large
The sun (rā, in Māori) symbolises leadership, energy and eternity in Polynesian tattooing. Its radial symmetry usually puts it at the centre of the composition.
§ How I draw it
9 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
Leadership, energy, eternity.
Rā is the sun, and also the day, in Māori; in Hawaiian it's lā. As a source of energy and a measure of time, Polynesian tattooing ties it to leadership, to vitality and to the idea of eternity: it comes up every day, without exception.
Its radial symmetry usually puts it at the centre of the composition, often combined with other elements that tell the rest of the story.
It's a centre motif: it asks for the chest, the shoulder blade or the outside of the shoulder, where it has room around it. Placed somewhere narrow it loses the radiality, which is what makes it read as a sun.
§ How it's drawn
A circle with triangular or serrated rays around the rim and, in many of my designs, a symmetrical four-armed core. The density of the rays changes its character: few and large make it forceful; many and fine make it ornamental.
§ Works well with
Interested in a piece with this symbol?
In the consultation we work out how it fits your body and your story.
Book a consultation →