Hmong Tattoo

Hmong in the diaspora are reconnecting with their roots through contemporary means such as tattoo. Through this collection, visitors can examine portraits of individuals who have chosen to permanently represent their heritage through tattoo. The collection explores the interconnectedness between the Hmong and their environments through traditional Hmong textile designs.

What was once considered an act of rebellion, now is an expression of pride.

HMONG FLOWER TATTOO CREW

Twin Cities artist, Tou Saiko Lee lead the Hmong Flower Tattoo Crew in the creation of the Hmong Tattoo Exhibit for Northern Sparks in the Little Mekong District in 2017.

Photographer, Kazua Melissa Vang, used photos of tattoos she took of Hmong people from all over the world for the original exhibit. It was showcased on archival inkjet print on cloth material framed with bamboo poles.

Touchang Yang, videographer from In Progress, shared his talent in creating memorable videos for the exhibit.

Hmong Textile Symbols Tattoo

Inspired by the environment

Like all art, Hmong paj ntaub (flower cloth) is inspired by their environment. The motifs and symbols represent everything from nature to architecture, and one can only imagine the intimate relationship between the Hmong and the land they lived on when it is featured on elaborate and arduous embroidery. Many of the people in the diaspora may not have the same kind of physical closeness to the land as they once did, but these symbols continue to persist in the form of tattoos and other mediums.

CODED CLOTHING

A common story shared by many elders say that paj ntaub (flower cloth) are the remnants of the Hmong language. Hmong women coded onto clothing their language in order to disguise their stories from their oppressors.

Hmong elders also share that their ancestors call it the Flower Cloth because the embroidery patterns resemble how the petals of a flower stem out evenly from its center.

Families and Educator, download this creative exercise, students discuss what makes them proud to be Hmong, then given a template to design a t-shirt to show their pride. Download here.