Meraki Fade first travelled to Borneo 2008, returning many times she lived closely with the Iban Tribe, head-hunters known for a strong, spiritual connection to nature and a rich, decorative and culturally significant tattoo history.
Point of No Return.
Meraki Fade’s personal connection to the tribe enabled her to be one of the few outsiders to learn traditional Hand Tapped tattooing techniques from tribal elders usually unwilling to reveal their secrets.
Living, learning and tattooing with the Iban Tribe enabled Fade to gain a deep understanding of their history, art and customs and a clear insight into how the rapid spread of industrial Capitalism is transforming their culture.
In 2014 she returned with a lone cameraman and filmed, ‘Point of No Return’ a documentary capturing the Iban’s way of life, history, tattoo practice and ongoing Hand Tap revival in the midst of a changing landscape and the ecological effects of commercial deforestation.
The documentary gives an international voice to the remaining tattooed Iban elders who remember a time before the bulldozer and The Bible dominated the rainforest.
Released in 2015, the film has screened at Tattoo Conventions throughout Europe and the USA.
