‘Akairo ‘Atui

‘Akairo ‘Atui is a conceptual publication which presents the development of current visual systems in place to notate rhythms and patterns of Cook Island drumming sequences. Drawing inspiration from the often rhythmic nature and sequencing of traditional ‘akairo (motifs) to create patterns produced in the art of Cook Island tatau (tattooing), this publication demonstrates a unique visual approach to the way we perceive Cook Island drumming sequences. The use of ‘akairo within this publication are applied to translate a range of drumming sequences from an acoustic to a visually based medium; creating a new dialogue between the visual and performative arts of the Cook Islands.