Path to joy

Design Story

This armband tattoo that goes up the arm was prepared for Gwendy and it features several Moluccan inspired designs to honor her grandfather.

We kept it light and feminine, with the armband part shaped by a motif that is found on Moluccan shrines used to honor ancestors, possibly birds of paradise, as they were revered birds whose feathers were used by chiefs, while the additional decorations of the tail come from the spread arms of the Luli, the ancestor goddess appearing on such shrines.
The hammerhad shark motif was added to symbolize tenacity and strength.

The unalome symbol in the center depicts a challenging path.
Every turn is a trial (or something learnt) which finally led her to joy, represented by the sun on top, a part of her new life view (the star shows it as her direction) and which she shares with other people.

The central ipu is a symbol of fertility and femininity, with her son central on top of her life.

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