Traditional Mentawai Hand Tapping Tattoo Studio in Bali

The Living Art of Mentawai Tattoos

When Red Hot Chili Peppers’ singer Anthony Kiedis recently sat with Mentawai shamans in Indonesia, he experienced something truly special – a 3,500-year-old tattoo tradition that’s still alive today.

In Mentawai, tattoos aren’t just body art – they’re life stories. Each person’s tattoos tell you who they are and what they do in their community. A hunter’s skin might show the animals he’s caught, while a woman who fishes might have patterns of fishing nets on her arms. The local shamans wear special star designs that mark their role as spiritual leaders.

What makes these tattoos beautiful is how they connect people to nature. The Mentawai believe everything has a soul – the trees, rocks, and animals – and their tattoos are a way of honoring this connection. The tattoo artist uses simple tools: wooden needles and natural ink made from banana leaves and coconut shells. Before starting, they perform a ceremony because creating a tattoo is considered sacred work.

For the Mentawai people, getting a tattoo isn’t about following a trend – it’s about carrying their culture, beliefs, and personal journey on their skin. Each design is carefully chosen to reflect the person’s role in their community and their relationship with the natural world around them.

In a world where so much changes so quickly, these tattoos remind us how some traditions stay meaningful because they keep telling important stories about who we are and what we believe in.