Folktale: The Origins of Moko, the Maori Face Tattoo from New Zealand

by Christopher Agostino

My wife brought me a book of Maori folktales from the library: Land of the Long White Cloud: Maori Myths, Tales and Legends by Kiri Te Kanawa; © 1989; Arcade Publishing, Inc., New York. She came across it while looking for stories for a show she will be creating at an elementary school. The author introduces each tale briefly, writing about how she might have heard such stories as a child and what she imagined about them. The bio notes also explain that Kiri Te Kanawa is a famous opera singer and made her debut at the Royal opera House, Covent Garden, in 1971.

The tale “Mataora and Niwareka in the Underworld” especially caught my attention, as it offers a folkloric explanation for the origins of moko, the traditional facial tattooing of the Maori. In brief: a warrior chief named Mataora meets some beautiful women who come up from the Underworld. They tell him that the designs he has painted on his face are not true moko because they can be wiped off. He falls in love with Niwareka, winds up following her back down to the Underworld and meets her father, who is busy tattooing a young man’s face with a fine bone chisel. Mataroa sees that the process is excruciatingly painful but the man doesn’t cry out. Ue-tonga, the father, then tattoos Matarao’s face with “the intricate patterns, twirls and swirls” that make a warrior “look both frightening and beautiful.” Mataroa understands he must bear the pain bravely to receive the true moko, and afterwards he brings the tattoo tradition (and Niwareka) back up to the Overworld.

I’m fascinated by the idea in this tale that the Maori first painted their faces with the moko patterns before they used tattoo, Continue reading

Body Painting: The Irabaki Demon — painted at IMATS New York Makeup Trade Show

© 2012 bodypainting by Christopher Agostino    model: Lisa Greenberg

  The she-demon Irabaki haunts the bridge between this world and the next , appearing as the beautiful princess she used to be. Under command of the emperor, the legendary samurai Watanabe no Tsuna comes out of retirement to battle the demon and clear the bridge. Finding the princess, he sees through the demon’s illusion. Tsuna grabs the demon with one hand as it transforms into its true shape, while swinging his sword with the other to cut off the demon’s arm before it can escape. Continue reading

Body Painting Video — The Making of Kryolan 2011 Calendar: Unique Gallery of Modern Art

I just received the new video from Kryolan Professional Makeup on the making of their 2011 calendar. Every year, Kryolan puts out a large format calendar featuring makeup art and body painting. 2011 featured body paintings inspired by famous 19th and 20th century artists, created by a Natalia Pavlova’s Team of artists from Russia (with Anastasia Malysheva and Juliana Mahtyuk) under the direction of Elena Samarina, the head of the Arte-Grim Company, distributor of Kryolan products throughout the Russian federation. The video is also a tour of the extensive line of Kryolan products, including those beautiful big aluminum makeup cases they make.

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