"Taia o moko hei hoa matenga mou" - “Take your moko as a friend for life”.
Tā moko: The origins of moko come from Rangi and Papa through one of their offspring called Ruāūmoko who is seen as the god of earthquakes, volcanoes and subterranean activity.
Moko is a name for Māori tattoo and the culture that surrounds it. It is a reflection of whakapapa (geneology) and history. It symbolises Māori identity and marks in time ones journey in life. There has been a huge revival of traditional Māori tā moko and other Māori cultural traditions. The beauty of Tā moko is becoming well known around the world and that it is something specifically 'Māori'. Non-Māori people getting moko designs on their faces as well as other parts of their body, many of which have improper significance and to do so is nothing short of cultural appropriation.
Māori 'tā moko' has been practiced for over a thousand years, and has not only withstood time but also colonization. Moko was used as a form of identification, rank, genealogy, tribal history, eligibility to marry, and marks of beauty or ferocity and much more. Traditional moko weren't merely tattooed upon their wearers; they were finely chiseled into the skin. The art preceded wood carvings, so accordingly the first of these wood carvings copied moko designs. Moko by women and men are most recognizably done on the face, although other parts of the body are also marked.
The choosing of the design is not, however, an easy process. Unlike getting a mundane tattoo now, Māori tā moko took time, approval and planning on the part of the elders and other family members. First the elders decided whether one was worthy of receiving tā moko. One of the questions they need answered with an unwavering yes was: "are they committed to wearing their tribal identity on their body for the rest of their life?" Then the design process would begin by taking into account the tribal history, which was the most important component of the moko.
However, the majority of people who are using Moko inspired designs don’t take the time to learn about its origins or significance. It is understandable why some Māori are offended by the use of bits and pieces of their culture. Wouldn't you be upset too if someone copied something uniquely yours without your permission, didn’t know anything about its origin, and didn’t use it in the appropriate manner?
Maori people will continue their efforts to keep this beautiful and interesting cultural art alive, the rest of the world can come to respect this sacred cultural ritual, and the two can come to an agreement about its use in today’s society.
The costs:
We charge $150 per hour. This includes consultation, design and application of your work. Therefore, the price is usually determined depending on the size of the piece (and the body part receiving it), and the detail within. These variables make it difficult to determine the actual cost of the work beforehand, but we can give 'estimates’.
If we have organised to travel to you then we also include this travel time and the cost of gas there and back into the price.
Tā moko Design
We receive quite a few requests for design of tā moko – as in drawing up of a design only, for another tā moko / tattoo artist to apply to the skin. We appreciate that people respect our work and may not be able to travel to us to receive their tā moko, however, it is our policy to apply all the work we design. This is to do mostly with artist integrity. You cannot trust that someone else will execute your designs as you would have them executed. Therefore, please do not be offended if we turn down your request for a design piece, based on this policy.
Our Tā moko Studio
We are based in Coromandel Town, Coromandel and operate from our home studio. We are about a two and a half hour trip from Hamilton or Auckland. So although it is a bit of a journey to get here initially, it is worth the trip. Coromandel is a beautiful place for sure (and the fishing is great too).