Emma Tamarii was born on the Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia) in 1937. In 1962 she moved with her family to Tahiti. Tamarii's husband is a traditional Marquesan carver: for many years Tamarii worked as his assistant. She learnt the technique of the tifaifai from Tahitian women and later opened her own stall at the Village des artisanes de Tipaerui in Papeete. She designs and cuts her own patterns and is often assisted with the sewing by Madame Tavita.

Tifaifais, or applique quilts, are traditionally made by women and have been present in eastern Polynesia since the early nineteenth century. They are most common in the Cook Islands, Society Islands (Tahiti is part of this island group) and Hawaii, and their emergence is associated with the introduction of needlework by missionary wives. On many islands, such as Tahiti, the tifaifai replaced the traditional tapa cloth, although tapa motifs and patterns were often transferred onto the quilts.

Tamarii developed the motif of this Tifaifai (Marquesan style) from designs on Marquesan carving. This transfer of designs from one art form to another is a sign of continuity in many living traditions of the Pacific and also testifies to the innovation and artistic freedom of contemporary Pacific artists.