For those of you who have visited the Beauty in Asia exhibtion at the Asian Civilisations you will notice stunning portraits of elderly Atayal men and women, all of whom bear testimony to the dying traditional practice of facial tattooing.

These photos are the work of Mr Tien Kuei Shih, a Taiwanese aboriginal photographer. There are many reasons for which facial tattoos are significant for the Atayal: female chastity and beauty, identity with the tribal community and heroic pride and connection with the ancestral spirit.

Today most of the young Atayal people do not choose to adopt this practice. To keep this and other aspects of aboriginal culture alive, Mr Tien has devoted his life to documenting this art.

On 27 July, Mr Tien will be talking about his work at the Asian Civilisations Museum. He will also share moving stories of his people and their mission to keep their heritage alive.

Mr Tien will be accompanied by the Atayal Heritage Ensemble, a talented group of young and young-at-heart, aboriginal performers from Taiwan. The ensemble will present a full performance of Atayal song and dance on 30 July at ACM.

All interested may register for the talk and the performance on the ACM website.

Tags: Asian Civilisations Museum, Tien Kuei Shih, Atayal Aboriginies, Beauty in Asia