From Tāmoko beginnings on the East Coast to mentoring new artists in Kāpiti, local Artist Manawa sat down with Kyle for Porirua News, to share his creative journey and the deep meaning behind his work.
Where are you from, and how did your journey with Tāmoko begin?
I’m from a place called Tolaga Bay on the east coast of New Zealand, north of Gisborne. I was probably in my mid-twenties, living with my uncle, and he wanted to start doing Tāmoko. One of his mates got a tattooist up from Hawkes Bay who showed him how to set up the machines and sterilise everything. It’s kind of in the blood really here. I was hanging around, doing my thing with him.
How did things evolve from there?
I was lucky enough to find a house at Pukerua Bay to rent—really lucky, because I had a dog. With the garage where it is, we thought we could turn that into a studio. I’ve never really sort of… well, it just grew naturally.
Has travel played a role in your creative journey?
Yeah, I really enjoyed travelling and meeting people in Australia. I started getting invites to other countries too. I was planning to do all that, and then COVID came along. That put the handbrake on travel—and quite a bit of the money, too. But a lot of work has come through from America, France, and all over now.
Tell us about the studio now.
You can really see it grow. I’ve got an apprentice who started out wanting to carve, and now he’s like, “Can we do Tāmoko as well?” So it’s more than just a tattoo studio—we share our art, whether it’s tattooing, painting, or carving. We do woodwork, stonework, bonework too. It’d be awesome to get a painter as a tattooist as well. We’re currently looking for more artists to join.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Mostly from the culture. That’s the base. It’s everything, really.
What are some of your most memorable works?
Definitely the ones connected to someone who’s passed away. Those pieces tend to carry a lot of meaning. And then there are the coming-of-age ones—teenagers marking their independence, moving out of home. That’s always special.
One that really stands out is a guy who’s Kiwi and half-Aboriginal. His great-grandfather was an Englishman who came to Australia and got up to all sorts—stealing horses, cows, having affairs, in and out of jail. He eventually married an Aboriginal woman, and that’s where this guy descends from. His ancestor had a nickname, something like Captain Thunderpants—honestly, you can Google it! We did this beautiful piece blending Aboriginal motifs with moko, plus a silhouette of Kāpiti Island because he loves fishing and really connects with where he grew up.
What’s ahead for you and the studio?
We’re advertising for Te Reo artists right now—we’ve got space to bring in two more. It’s a good setup. And it’s always growing. We’re just grateful for the people who keep finding us and bringing their stories to share.
Contact Manawa Moko Studio, on Facebook at – https://www.facebook.com/ManawaMoko
