Tattoos in a tribal context are as much a communicator as they are a means of Adornment. They can be understood in the capacity of an expression of self, a sign of religious belonging, or relieve symptoms of spiritual or physical ills.

The practice of tattooing women at home, which was often a painful process, has largely stopped, leaving the faint marks almost exclusively on the faces of older women.The palm leaf, just like the palm tree, represents, for some women, the (unspoken) status of “mother goddess,” a source of wealth and a protective figure, like the protective shade of a palm tree.”

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in. This trunk tattoo symbolises the rootedness and connexion between the earth, the sky, the divine, and the world and earth energy.

But whilst many are well-acquainted with eldest son Filip Leu’s Japanese-style works (thanks largely to the tattoo publications which grew in number and accessibility during his rise), fewer people have been able to appreciate the art of his father and mentor Felix Leu (1945 - 2002). Symbols were numerous, such as triangles and half circles. We find these in earrings, bracelets, anklets. We also find these symbols in many Amazigh dresses and costumes, whether for women or men. And also we find several symbols in the home utensils, and we can't forget as well the architecture, for example, wood, gypsum, and also stone engraving, always the same symbols that they used in tattoos." Many of the symbols depicted in deq tattoos are inspired by nature, with common designs including plants, stars and animals. The meaning behind them varies from strength to productivity and fertility.