If you know Sunset Tattoo, you know we’re a friendly and lively group of people. We’d like you to get to know our artists a little better, what drives them, what made them want to get into the industry, what they went through to get to where they are now, maybe even their favourite burger joint. So we’re starting a (hopefully) weekly blog called Let’s talk about tatts, baby! If you have any particular questions you’d like us to ask any of our artists, feel free to leave a comment below.
This week we stole Manawa Tapu’s Ta Moko apprentice and Maori visual artist extraordinaire Fern Ngatai (Ngati Porou/Tainui) away to sit down by the light box to chat about her journey so far into the Auckland tattoo scene. Fern Ngatai, Let’s talk about tatts, baby!
Forearm Ta Moko by apprentice Fern Ngatai.
Sunset: Hi Fern! Can you come and sit with me by the light box? I’m going to ask you a few questions if that’s ok with you.
Fern: um, ok?
When did you realise you wanted to start tattooing?
From a super young age! I was around 10, and I was really intrigued by Moko* (*traditional Maori tattooing). I would always draw patterns. I guess I was first exposed to Kowhaihai, Moko and Tukutuku patterns amongst the Marae, I heard a lot about Maori myths and legends, I was always intrigued by their stories and always imagined them.. like when I was taught about Maui, Rangi and Papa.. there were all these books, and they had all these Kowhaiwhai patterns! Also carvings, we used to go into the Marae when we were younger and they would show us what the carvings meant, why they were there, the positioning, there was a lot of story telling behind looking at something, instead of speaking about something. I still would rather visually see something, look at something instead of listen to a story.
Tell me about your creative background.
What? What about it?
It’s not just tattooing! You dance, you paint, you’re bi-lingual..! Fern grew up speaking both Maori and English.
I started dancing.. since I was probably about.. honestly about five years old. Like I said I was always intrigued from a very young age by Maori myths and legends, the patterns in them. I would look at them and just draw and draw and draw and draw literally everyday. Like no shit, I had this booklet and honestly it was all I would do. I didn’t pay attention in school, maths, science, I didn’t care about anything else but drawing. When I finished high school I had this massive idea of being a dancer but if I were to ever start tattooing it would be something I would just fall into. I didn’t want to go looking for it. I didn’t approach anyone, and be like “Hi!”. I wanted that door to open for me and not for me to put pressure on it.
How did this apprenticeship come about:
This motherfucker called Tristan Marler! I think I got tattooed by Tristan Marler just once.. maybe in his third year of tattooing. I got a small little Tāniko chest piece in between my breasts. From there I started following his work on instagram, he started following me on instagram.
Did you slide into his DMs?
Tristan Marler slid up into my DMs! He was like “Yo yo yo Sunset Tattoo might be looking for an apprentice, did you want to come and meet me and TomTom?” and I opened up that message and was like woah what the fuck has my life turned into? It was really buzzy cause I said to Ben (Fern’s best friend) that I wanted to do an apprenticeship, but if I ever did an apprenticeship I would want it to be under Tristan or Heeds. So when Tristan approached me it was really really weird. I didn’t want to beg for an apprenticeship, I just knew if I kept working on my craft and myself.. I’m a big believer in the universe so, if I keep working on myself whatever comes will come. Obviously there is an end goal, but if things align it aligns, if they don’t they don’t. You’ve just got to be patient!
Who are your biggest influences when it comes to tattoos?
It probably would be Tristan. I guess he has kind of developed his own style, he is just too out the gate! The way that he thinks.. the way he has taken tukutuku patterns, potama and put that into Moko, I dunno you don’t really see that very much, often. Gordon Toi is obviously a big one. I first got tattooed by him at 16, it was super dope. I begged my mum to let me go get a Moko by Gordon.
To sign the consent form?
Yeah, to sign the consent form. So I did that when I was 16, and from then on I was like this is definitely something I want to get into. Working in a tattoo shop you obviously get influenced by a lot of people. You’re constantly learning different things from different people. I’m very inspired by the whole shop. Peoples different energies and different drives. Every individual here inspires me in a different way. It may not be moko, but even just the way they may communicate with their clients, to the way they present themselves on instagram, to the videos.
The way that Milky runs his machines?
Yeah, it’s like, all these little things you can’t exactly get from one person. It’s amazing get you get such a variety. I’m really lucky to be in a place I get to do that. Even though I might pain in the ass now and then to a lot of people, it’s all good.
What has been the most rewarding tattooing experience so far fo you?
For me personally the most rewarding is that I’m on a journey to give back to my people and to develop an art form that was once pushed away, to bring it back into time and allow that space to be open even more. That’s what I’m excited about. Also tattooing family members as well, I have a real soft spot for that. There’s no Moko artists in my family.
We see a lot of your family come through.
Yeah, it’s pretty crack up I’m like “I’m going to fuck up your day!!”
And the scariest?
Scary? I freak out all the time during my tatts! Scariest time.. Probably my first ever tatt, that was pretty gnarly, pretty scary.
Who was that on?
That was on Isaiah, he’s crack up as. That was very nerve wracking. I don’t really know, sometimes it’s not to bad, sometimes you just get nervous but you’ve got to get over yourself.
What do you like doing the most, what do you want to do more of tattoo wise?
Good question! I’m kinda open.. I’m open. I would like more backs, more thighs. I’m totally open!
I think that’s everything I need to ask you, thank you Fern! Donate your back to Fern!
Cool Rosie, what are you doing with this?
Calf Ta Moko by Fern Ngatai.
Fern is currently tattooing at an apprentice rate for a limited time. If you’re interested in getting a traditional Maori tattoo/Ta Moko tattoo and helping this spectacular wahine on her journey to becoming a Ta Moko master, please contact the studio for more information. Fern has also been working on flash, and will be displaying it at the shop in the coming week!
CONTACT:
www.sunsettattoo.co.nz
info@sunsettattoo.co.nz
(+649)3763423