Ala nui

Design Story

This Polynesian half sleeve tattoo was designed for Ales and it includes elements related to his story and family.

His story starts in the past along a difficult path (ala nui o Kamehameha) that brought him success and prosperity (the sun and coconut leaves on top).
He faced this path with tenacity, determination, and adaptability (the hammerhead shark and the octopus tentacles) prospering thanks to luck (the lizard) and skills (the adze).

The row of birds symbolizes this voyage, along which he met his wife and started a family (the turtle includes the symbol of marriage and two frangipani flowers for his children, each with their initial nearby and a dot to symbolize their importance).
The front flippers are tiki to protect the family from all sides and the back flippers are a seashell for love and a fish hook for prosperity.
It is flanked by shark teeth and spearheads for protection, a braid for unity, and fish for prosperity, and ahead of it there are mountains to symbolize stability.

The stepping stones at the center, representing the things learnt, lead to the lo kahi, which is a symbol for balance between nature and the world of humans and spirits.

The manta symbolizes freedom (placed central and big), with a Marquesan cross inside for harmony and balance.
The ancestors are next to it while the row of people represents all the people and cultures met during his voyages.

The colored image below helps identifying the individual elements: