Ta Moko
What does Ta Moko mean? Ta Moko is the permanent marking of the body or face practiced by the Maori, the indigenous people from New Zealand. Its practice has changed over the years, now it's done using a tattoo machine, but in the old days, bones or a stone chisel were used to cut the surface of the skin and then a pigment was applied to the cuts. Moko formed an important part of the visual culture and identity of Maori and was a rite of passage for both men and women. It was also a source of identity. This idea of tattooing my body has been around my head for many years. The last 5 or 6 was when I really started figuring out what I wanted to do. I decided that I wanted a tribal style tattoo, but hadn't landed on the Maori style yet. When my daughter was about to be born, I realized that I wanted a style that could be translated into the symbolism of birth, family, strength, hardship, overcoming difficulties. That's when I started to investigate it and found out about