Tōroa e rere i te pae moana,
kawea mai te mātauranga, te mana, te tapu
whakaritehia mātou i te ara o tā moko
kia ū ki ngā tikanga, kia kaha te ngākau
Haumi ē! Hui ē! Tāiki ē!
Albatross soaring over the ocean,
bring us knowledge dignity, and sacredness
Guide us on the path of tā moko
to uphold customs, with strength of heart
Bind us! Unite us! It is done!
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papa rerere toroa
ta moko
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HE TAONGA TUKU IHO
A treasure handed down from our ancestors
Tā Moko is about telling stories and continuing traditions. Tā Moko is the distinctive skin marking inheritance of Māori which more recently has reclaimed its rightful spiritual place within the culture again.
You have the unique opportunity to receive these time-honoured marks from Tā Moko experts within our studio. Our Tā Moko artists honour the tradition they have been taught with their distinctive design language, that they expertly apply to weave your symbolic story to skin.
You do not need to be Māori to receive Tā Moko but you probably have some questions first ...
THE BLUE PRIVILEGE
OUR SYMBOL OF INDIGENOUS PRIDE
HE MOKO KAHURANGI
HE WHAKAPAPA RANGATIRA
TĀ MOKO HAS A WHAKAPAPA - BLOODLINE
The Tā Moko artist is foremost responsible to the knowledge of the distinctive design inheritance that belongs to Māori communities, where it is shared and developed amongst Māori masters and connected to many other things in the Māori world. The moko artists journey is not a one-off learning and it does not sit outside of Māoridom because Tā Moko artists understand that what they fashion through their hands, designs and tools, hold a direct lineage to ancestors whom we seek protection from, by these skin markings.
Take the time to ask your artist about the importance of Tā Moko and whakapapa, and how they see your role in their practice.
TĀ MOKO IS NOT A TATTOO OR 'KIRITUHI'
Māori skin marking has an independent practice that pre-dated any modern tattoo whereas todays popular tattoo reflects the development of western cultural ideas.
Tā Moko is not kirituhi and this modern word kirituhi does not serve us well. It misleads people to think that a tattooed copy of a Māori design, or sort-of-moko, or claims by a non-Māori that they 'know' moko, are authentic. A Māori Tā Moko artist should present you with the best of their Tā Moko heritage, nothing less.
Tā Moko is the continuous community and practice of design language and knowledge. Māori believe Tā Moko to be part of their bloodline. This connects us evermore to our very ancient Māori ancestors and their wisdom, and future generations.
HOW DO I KNOW IF IT'S REAL TĀ MOKO?
While Māori are entitled to Tā Moko through whakapapa/blood, when you talk to Māori you get to appreciate the esteem in which this artform is held - how we might measure ourselves as deserving or not. It is important to do your research as this will lead you to the right Tā Moko artist and indicate your preparedness. You can expect from your artist their whakapapa (bloodline), explanation of the designs and evidence of their technical ability as well as evidence of original styled work.
As a practice Tā Moko is usually free-hand drawn by the Kaita (artist) in association with the recipient using cultural design language to tell a story. Tā Moko is not replicated even when shared between families as each piece directly reflects the body form and story perspective of the individual recipient.
I'M NOT MĀORI, CAN I GET A TĀ MOKO?
You will probably want to book a free consult with your artist to talk about the story that your moko will express and from this you can decide if you are comfortable receiving Tā Moko. Since your artist will most likely freehand your design based on your personalised story, small or big, together through discussion your individual Tā Moko will evolve and be made permanent.
There are some moko designs and placements that are reserved for Māori and these tend to be on the face or involve significant areas of the torso. There are however, many options for non-Māori to be marked in equally meaningful ways, to represent their own family, experiences, personal attributes, and/or milestones.
MEET OUR
TĀ MOKO EXPONENTS
PAAMA-PENGELLY @julesartistmoko
Ngai Te Rangi
As our Resident Senior Artist and the driving force behind the studio Julie holds an unmatched level of authority within the New Zealand art sphere. Proudly affiliating with Ngāi Te Rangi (Tauranga Moana).
Julie is celebrated as a pioneering wahine practitioner who helped lead the modern resurgence of tā moko. With 35 years of specialised skin-marking experience and post-graduate mastery in Māori visual arts, her highly sought-after design practice spans a diverse range of contemporary and progressive multimedia.
Grounded in customary techniques like traditional uhi tools, Julie's vision ensures our studio stands as a culturally rooted sanctuary where mana and mauri of ancestral practices are brought to life through unique visual stories.
PANAPA @toi_whakairo
Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato
As a Resident Artist at the studio, Te Moa brings profound cultural grounding and ancestral connection to his practice as a Tā Moko practitioner. Guided entirely by tikanga and driven by kaupapa, his extensive expertise is backed by a Bachelor's degree from the prestigious Toihoukura School of Māori Visual Arts and Design and his enthusiasm for kapa haka.
For Te Moa, the storytelling, rhythmic precision, and ihiihi (essential force) of performance art are deeply intertwined with physical skin marking. He channels these tribal histories and customary protocols seamlessly into his work, viewing tā moko as a living skin inheritance that reflects a person’s whakapapa, identity, and life journey.
With a deep respect for traditional knowledge, Te Moa treats his chair as a safe, culturally rooted sanctuary where clients can transform their stories into sacred visual milestones and anchor their inner mana.
Whakaaio te pō, whakaaio te ao"
FIDOW @tekawariart
Ngāti Ranginui, Hamoa
As a talented Junior Artist at the studio, Te Kawari brings a vibrant enthusiastic energy and a profound respect for heritage to his practice as a Tā Moko and Tatau practitioner.
Proudly of Māori and Samoan descent and raised in the Bay of Plenty, with his whānau based in Te Puna, Te Kawari is deeply grounded in Te Ao Māori and firmly connected to his wider Polynesian roots. Drawing was his very first passion, and he views creativity as his greatest purpose in life—a devotion that shines through in his striking, culturally blended designs.
Te Kawari’s ultimate mission is to grow not just as an artist, but as a master storyteller, intentionally creating custom pieces that hold deep meaning, individual identity, and mana for everyone who wears them. Learning alongside our senior masters, he offers a culturally rich, welcoming space for clients ready to wear their cultural stories on their skin.
"My goal is to grow not just as an artist, but as a storyteller — creating pieces that hold meaning, identity, and mana for those who wear them."
KARA @tearetatatau
Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Tumutevarovaro, Rarotonga
Stormy Kara is an internationally travelling kaitāmoko, kaiwhakairo (carver), and master tātatau practitioner from the Cook Islands and New Zealand who frequently visits Art + Body Creative Studio as an acclaimed guest artist.
Stormy is permanently based out of Te ’Are Tātatau (located on the main road in Panama, Rarotonga), a collective studio and gallery space she established to showcase Pacific Ink tattoos alongside culturally inspired apparel and gifts from emerging indigenous artists. Approaching her craft with deep ancestral purpose, she works entirely freehand and custom, matching complex geometric lines and protective patterns to the individual life stories of each client to honour the sacred, shared threads of wider Polynesia.
“... now, it’s more to do with understanding the bigger picture, which is the restoration process...It’s essentially a lifetime devotion to that.”
KIA ORA, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT!
Not so long ago Māori nearly lost Tā Moko traditions, the 1907 Tohunga Suppression Act outlawed practices that encompassed Māori spiritual beliefs. While we can seem precious about Tā Moko, particularly about who is considered authentic in their knowledge and therefore endorsed to apply Tā Moko, we are also generous with our efforts to educate people and share with them a special part of our culture.
If you come to see us we willingly share Tā Moko because we appreciate that you value our authentic voice and that you have chosen to respect our traditions. You become a special part of our cultural community because every person that receives Tā Moko Māori helps us grow stronger as a People, that you appreciate and have greater awareness of our authentic being.
Don't settle for imitations, book time to discuss your custom Tā Moko today