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Rihanna has gone to great lengths to close the old Chris Brown chapter in her life.

The “Pour It Up” singer got herself inked with a traditional Maori tattoo — applied with a mallet and a chisel instead of a needle! — during a recent New Zealand stop on her Diamonds world tour. Talk about painful!

According to tattoo artist Inia Taylor, RiRi’s procedure was “not about getting a tattoo” it was a ceremony.

“Tattoos aren’t fashion. They are a way to get rid of pain in your life. You have to create pain to get over pain,” she said. “Apparently, she had such an asshole of a boyfriend she said. The tattoo is just a reminder of the things in the past. Lord knows, she overcame a lot of that s**t.”

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“The symbols involved are of dreams, hope, aspirations and navigation with Polynesian stars on her fingers,” Taylor said of the design, which included symbols from the ancient language of Ta Moko. “It’s about stopping, reassessing, you make a mark on yourself, and you leave it behind. It’s a coming of age. It’s a moment to reassess.”

“I didn’t realize she had such a hard time,” Taylor added. “She’s a very brave girl and we applaud her for that.”

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The 25-year-old superstar captured the whole process on YouTube. And despite the circumstances, she looked calm and collected.

Check out the footage below and tell us what you think!

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