Name: 80 x 64, Acrylic on canvas, XXXXXXX, 2000
Somewhat smaller than Tahiti, Ra’iatea is the second largest of the society islands in French Polynesia. In the Tahitian language, Ra’iatea means bright sky. Stephen met this Polynesian teen at a traditional tattoo festival on the Island. The boy was studying underneath the Tahitian shaman seated to his left (also painted by Stephen “ Tavana, Big Mana”) The shaman was teaching him traditional culture.
In the ages of the Chiefs, Ra’iatea was considered the “ Mother Island” This ment that where ever a temple was built, a stone from the Island had to be included in the structure. Whilst at the festival, Stephen encountered many people from the surrounding Islands bringing stones back to the island.
