Ta moko: Art's more than skin deep

For Rotorua's Hohua Mohi ta moko is not just a job, it's a way of life.
On Saturday Mr Mohi opened a new business on Hinemoa St - Moko 101 - a ta moko studio and art gallery.
Most recently Mr Mohi and his partner Phillipa Moore lived in Australia but previous to that spent seven years travelling around the world stopping for periods in New Zealand, Hawaii and Australia.
"My focus was always to do moko for our own [people] and bring it back here. When I mean our own I don't just mean Maori, but everyone in Rotorua," Mr Mohi said.
As the grandson of Te Arawa kaumatua and founder of Mokoia Island's Mau Taiaha Wananga, Mita Mohi, he said he learnt from a young age the importance of learning te reo Maori that set him on a path to a career in the ancient art of ta moko.
The pair take their work seriously.
"We do ta moko and ta moko only, no silly little cartoons, we are quite staunch about they way we do things," Ms Moore said.
Mr Mohi said one of the most important aspects of ta moko was understanding the significance and importance of what was being put on your body.
"We will do consultations on tikanga and whakapapa and explain in detail what it means to the person. It has to mean something otherwise it's not ta moko.
"All moko tell a story about the person, where they are from, who their ancestors were, their river, their mountain - all those sorts of things important to them."
Ms Moore said the couple had issues with the term "tattoo" - "It's not a tattoo, it's ta moko," she said.
"Each moko is an individual work of art, I suppose they are all custom, we won't put the same piece on another person because it does not belong to them," Mr Mohi said.
Ms Moore said the art gallery side of the business would promote, show and sell art produced by local artists and friends.
"Being an artist is not an easy thing to do so we want to help out our locals by showing all sorts of art - sculpture, weaving, painting and carving," she said.
The pair said in recent years there had been a revival of ta moko but there was still a stigma attached to the art, especially by the use of facial moko by gang members.
"And there's some really bad moko out there too."