Prints Prints and more Prints!

Our talented Tattoo Artists don’t just mark skin, they also create beautiful works of art that you can hang on your wall.

Here are a few of the prints we have in-store and online from some of our very own artists, and our wider tattoo community.

Check them out below! Only limited numbers available, so get in quick!

Capilli Tupou - Limited Edition A2 print - BUY NOW

Capilli Tupou - A3 limited edition print - BUY NOW

Milky - Limited edition A3 print - BUY NOW

Horiyama - A3 Limited Edition Print - BUY NOW!

Roger Moore - A3 Limited Edition Print - BUY NOW!

Fern Ngatai - A3 limited edition print - BUY NOW!

Get your first Maori tattoo with Sunset!

If you’re here visiting our beautiful country, you’ll want a memento of your time in New Zealand, and what other way is more perfect than a Maori tattoo?

Tristan is the man to see!

Tristan is our resident tattoo artist who specialises in Maori tattoos and Pacifica designs.

Being Maori himself, Tristan understands the meaning, complexity and history behind genuine Maori tattoos.

From Hokianga in the Northland, Tristan is of Te Rarawa descent, and graduated in 2014 from the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts institute.

With his diploma in traditional wood carving (Whakairo Rakau), Tristan specializes in Ta Moko, Blackwork, pattern work, geometric and dot-work tattoo styles.

Ta Moko tattoos

It’s impossible to know when Tā Moko first started as there are no written records before the Europeans arrived. Instead, historians have had to rely on archaeologists and the accounts of the first European settlers.

Excavated sites have found tattooing tools dating back to the very earliest settlers, using the technique of rhythmically tapping a bone chisel, lashed to a small wooden shaft into the skin.

Some of the earliest accounts of tattooing in New Zealand were by Captain James Cook’s artist on board the Endeavour, Sydney Parkinson. Parkinson sketched and painted local Maori displaying their Moko, and described in detail the different styles and patterns he witnessed.

Come talk to us about a Maori tattoo

If you’re backpacking or holidaying here in New Zealand and would like a beautiful reminder of your time here, call in and see us for the perfect souvenir - a beautiful, unique Maori tattoo.

Despite only being a few years old, Sunset Tattoo is one of the most respected tattoo studios in Auckland, priding ourselves on our dedication to our strict health and hygiene practices.

Our desire to only use the very best materials and equipment led us to create our own tattoo supply company, Tattoo Station.  

Come talk to us today if you’re interested in a stunning Maori Tattoo.

Say hello to the Navy’s first Moko tattoo

The changing face of New Zealand’s Royal Navy is a Maori one.

After two decades of service, Rawiri Barriball is the first person to have been given clearance to wear a full-face Maori tattoo.

Barriball had to apply under special Navy law first for approval, which was granted in December.

“I've always felt I was going get it, I just wanted to achieve a few things first, my own goals, and one of them was doing 20 years' service." He says.

People’s reaction

The tattoo is striking, and took Rawiri’s brother aprox 10 hours to complete.

But Rawiri noticed how people reacted differently to him almost immediately.

“When I left my brother's house, straight away you can see the reaction of people. Even body language, which I was prepared for, but the way people talk to you, it changes," he said.

“I guess with my job being a seaman combat specialist… We're face to face with people that we're trying to help different parts of the world, if they see something as in moko they might be a bit intimidated I guess."

Barriball hoped his moko would help breakdown the stigma around facial tattoos.

"I know there's a bad rap with people having moko... the more people that get it the more it will be accepted," he said. 

"It's not something you should be scared of - I'm just like any other human being."

See Sunset for a Maori tattoo

If you’re interested in getting a Maori tattoo design, then you should come see Tristan at Sunset Tattoo.

Tristan is of Te Rarawa descent, from the Hokianga in the far north. He graduated from the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts institute in 2014 with a diploma in Whakairo Rakau (traditional wood carving). Not long before Tristan graduated, he approached Tom about learning the craft of tattooing and bringing his knowledge of carving and Maori art over to the medium

Tristan is now tattooing full time with Sunset, and specializes in Ta Moko, Blackwork, pattern work, geometric and dot-work tattoo styles.

Te Moko - The art of Maori tattoos

The styles and methods of tattooing in 21st century New Zealand are extremely diverse. From traditional Maori and Pacifica styles, through to modern Anime, the style is varied, but tattooing first began in New Zealand with Ta Moko.

The early days of Te Moko

It’s impossible to establish when Ta Moko started as there are no written records pre-colonisation, as there was no formal Maori written language. Instead, historians have had to rely on archaeologists and the accounts of the first European settlers. Excavated sites have found tattooing tools dating back to the very earliest settlers, with some of the tools the same as the ones used in Samoa. Although the patterns and designs vary throughout the Pacific when it comes to tattoos, the technique of rhythmically tapping a bone chisel, lashed to a small wooden shaft remains the same.

Some of the earliest accounts of tattooing in New Zealand were by Sydney Parkinson. Parkinson was Captain James Cook’s artist on board the Endeavour, when it landed in Poverty Bay in 1769. He sketched and painted local Maori displaying their Moko, and described in detail the different styles and patterns he witnessed.

The Explorers noticed that Maori women were not as extensively tattooed as the men. Their upper lips were outlined, usually in dark blue, and their nostrils were also very finely incised. The chin moko was always the most popular, and continued to be practiced even into the 1970s.

Telling a story through tattoos

Ta Moko facial tattoos aren’t just for decoration, they also tell a story. A person’s ancestry is indicated on each side of the face. The left side is generally (but not always, depending on the tribe) the father's side, while the right-hand side indicates the mother's ancestry. If one side of a person's ancestry was not of rank, that side of the face would have no Moko design. Likewise if, in the centre forehead area there is no Moko design, this means the wearer either has no rank, or has not inherited rank.

Talk to Tristan

If you’re interested in getting a Maori tattoo design, then you should come see Tristan at Sunset Tattoo.

Tristan is of Te Rarawa descent, from the Hokianga in the far north. He graduated from the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts institute in 2014 with a diploma in Whakairo Rakau (traditional wood carving). Not long before Tristan graduated, he approached Tom about learning the craft of tattooing and bringing his knowledge of carving and Maori art over to the medium.

Tristan is now tattooing full time with Sunset, and specializes in Ta Moko, Blackwork, pattern work, geometric and dot-work tattoo styles.

A quick history of Maori tattoos

The styles and methods of tattooing in 21st century New Zealand are extremely diverse. From traditional Maori and Pacifica styles, through to modern traditional, the style is varied, but tattooing first began in New Zealand with Ta Moko.

Ta Moko tattoos

It’s impossible to establish when Ta Moko started as there are no written records pre-colonisation, as there was no formal Maori written language. Instead, historians have had to rely on archaeologists and the accounts of the first European settlers. Excavated sites have found tattooing tools dating back to the very earliest settlers, with some of the tools the same as the ones used in Samoa. Although the patterns and designs vary throughout the Pacific when it comes to tattoos, the technique of rhythmically tapping a bone chisel, lashed to a small wooden shaft remains the same.

Captain Cook arrives

Some of the earliest accounts of tattooing in New Zealand were by Sydney Parkinson. Parkinson was Captain James Cook’s artist on board the Endeavour, when it landed in Poverty Bay in 1769. He sketched and painted local Maori displaying their Moko, and described in detail the different styles and patterns he witnessed.

The Explorers noticed that Maori women were not as extensively tattooed as the men. Their upper lips were outlined, usually in dark blue, and their nostrils were also very finely incised. The chin moko was always the most popular, and continued to be practiced even into the 1970s.

Ta Moko facial tattoos aren’t just for decoration, they also tell a story. A person’s ancestry is indicated on each side of the face. The left side is generally (but not always, depending on the tribe) the father's side, while the right hand side indicates the mother's ancestry. If one side of a person's ancestry was not of rank, that side of the face would have no Moko design. Likewise if, in the centre forehead area there is no Moko design, this means the wearer either has no rank, or has not inherited rank.