WOMEN artistes behind the Veiqia Project shared their experiences yesterday on what is a traditional part of the iTaukei culture.
Veiqia Project curator Tarisi Sorovi-Vunidilo said veiqia was the Fijian term for tattooing and was a tradition in the olden days where a girl was tattooed to show she had reached puberty and was ready for marriage.
“For each one of us, learning about Veiqia was empowering and deeply inspiring,” she said.
“Our trip to Fiji in 2015 showed us that learning about Fijian female tattoo has this same effect on Fijian women, and the Fijian community at large – this is a practice that has been sleeping and it’s time to remember.”
Ms Sorovi-Vunidilo said commoners had tattoo markings on their body once they reached maturity, however, women of chiefly status had the choice of whether or not they wanted to be tattooed.
Visual artiste Dulcie Stewart is tagged by the Veiqia Project group as “the brains” behind the team as she shared her family’s stories behind the tradition of Veiqia.
“My great, great grandmother was marked during the 20th century and before she passed away in 1961, the women in my family had seen the markings,” she said.
“Since 2005, I was marked and the initial markings are based on drawings from the 1870s and I have them on my arms, back and chest and it’s all part of our journey and it has been part of the oral history in my family.”
The exhibition is currently open at the Fiji Museum.
