Tahaa

Process for receiving Ta Moko
The first stage in receiving ta moko is the basic desire.  It can take years to reach a decision about when, where on your body and from whom to receive ta moko.  After you have been gifted these insights the next step is to get in touch with the ta moko artist.  We find this usually happens via the e-mail, from our website www.tahaa.co.nz, over the phone or in person.  From here you can start having a conversation about your desires for your ta moko and what you want represented in it, whether it be whakapapa, dreams and aspirations, stories or all of it.  We are happy for you to send us your information by e-mail before our initial meeting.  However some people prefer to talk in person with the artist.

The mahi/work:
After establishing contact with us and having a korero about what you want your ta moko to represent, the next stage is the design of your piece.  This usually takes place after the korero and directly before the application (that is ink going into skin).  The design is drawn directly onto the skin in pen before proceeding straight to the application stage.  Some people ask that the design be drawn before the scheduled appointment for getting their ta moko.  However we prefer this to happen when you come to receive your ta moko as it is easier to determine how a design will work and flow with your natural body shape if we can draw it straight onto the area.

So with your design drawn on in pen, we have a karakia to start the session and then get straight into it.

The costs:
We charge $120 per hour plus a one-off set up cost of $25 ( this is to cover the costs of ink, needles etc).  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 quote ‘ballparks’.
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.

Ta Moko Design
We receive quite a few requests for design of  ta moko – as in drawing up of a design only, for another ta 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 ta 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 Ta Moko Studio
We are based in Whitianga in the Coromandel and operate our studio from our home.  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.  Whitianga is a beautiful place for sure.