A tattoo studio in Matapihi, on Waikari Road in Tauranga, named Moana Moko after the Māori word for the sea and the traditional art of moko, the skin markings that carry whakapapa, identity and story. The name is the most distinctive thing about the studio, and it tells a visitor that the work draws on te ao Māori as well as on the wider tattoo tradition.
Tauranga has a long Māori history around the harbour and the surrounding marae, so a studio in this part of the city is close to the communities the name refers to. For someone who wants a design with a connection to Tauranga Moana, the studio's name is a clear place to begin a conversation.
Our pick in Tauranga for a tattoo with a Māori cultural connection.