Paretai

Design Story

This Polynesian half sleeve tattoo was designed for Kevin to represent how his family helped him recover from a bad accident.

It is represented centrally by the turtle on the shoulder and by the flax leaves at the base, while the part on the left, on the back of the arm, represents the accident in the past, with the fa'atigipusa pattern and thorns representing pain, and the path of Kamehameha symbolizing the challenges faced after that.
His family joined around him (the braid with 5 people in it) and gave him the strength to overcome it all (spearheads and octopus tentacles for strength, tenacity, and adaptability).
The chasing birds symbolize help always granted to the loved ones, and this led to a new start that brought joy to the family again (the sun shaped like a koru around the turtle).
The turtle herself includes the couple, the braid for union, a manta with a Marquesan cross for freedom and serenity, a lizard is for protection, and a hammerhead shark for tenacity, strength, and determination.

Going onto the right side of the armband, present and future, the couple supports the children among the new stability found (the mountains).
The ahuahu o Mataora below the couple symbolizes physical and mental strength to face any challenge.

The two tiki on the sides are for protection from every direction, and the all-seeing eye on top is to keep all evil away.
On its sides, the opposing waves in the past (adversities) become smaller going into the present, while favorable waves (positive changes) become bigger going into the future.

The Tahitian word paretai indicates a place of refuge in the sea, a shelter in troubled waters.

The colored image below shows the main elements within the tattoo: