Opening of Tatau exhibition at the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg: Women Who Wear Their Stories on Their Skin

Swedes are among the most tattooed people in the world, though the stories behind their tattoos are often invisible. In Tatau, the stories are the main attraction, together with the women who wears them. In the exhibition, women from different backgrounds and different parts of the world share their experiences and the meaning behind their tattoos.

The word tatau is originally from Polynesian language and can be translated as “to mark” or “to tap”. The exhibition focuses on tattoos in relation to heritage, identity and self-determination. Each motif carries a story and personal significance of their own.

The photographs and texts offer a face-to-face-meeting between the women and the visitors. It becomes an intimate experience where the combination of individual voices reflects larger issues of identity, belonging and expressions across generations and national borders.  

“We want to illustrate the way tattoos can function as a way to claim your body, your origins and your voice” says Rasha Shaaban, exhibition producer of Tatau. “Every line and every pattern bears witness to identity and serves as a reminder that traditions live on, change, and are renewed.”

Tatau opens at the Museum of World Culture on 27 June 2026 and is on display until 10 January 2027. During the opening there will be guided tours and a DJ who gives the summer evening a soundtrack. Throughout the fall, prominent figures from the tattoo world will be invited to the museum to give lectures and talks.

Press contact:
Tina Sjögren
tina.sjogren@worldculture.se