Leave Aotearoa with a Maori tattoo!

Ask any Kiwi and they’ll tell you New Zealand is the most beautiful place in the world. And with very few countries able to match our sheer diversity when it comes to natural landscape, they’d be right. From the tip of the North Island with its sub-tropical rainforests, down to the bottom of the South Island and its frozen glaciers, Aotearoa is a natural wonderland. 

It's no surprise then that we attract millions of tourists each year: almost 3 million in 2014. Bearing in mind that New Zealand only has a population of 4.5 million, that's two thirds of the country! 

Many of these tourists want something to remember their amazing trip by, and they need something more sentimental than a stuffed Kiwi. That's where Sunset Tattoo come in. A Maori tattoo is the perfect memento of New Zealand. It's a unique part of our culture, signifies a special time in your life, and of course, looks fucking awesome. 

Tristan is our resident artist who specialises in Maori tattoos and Pacifica designs. Being Maori himself, and studying at the New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Institute, he understands the meaning, complexity and history behind genuine Maori tattoos. If you're interested in an authentic Maori tattoo, then this is the man to talk to.

Call us today to book your consultation, or drop us an email if you plan on coming to Auckland and would like to leave with something special. For Maori tattoo design, there's simply no one better to come to.

3 incredible facts about tattoos

Tattoos are as old as time, and if we're not covered ourselves in them, we all know someone who has one. Here's three amazing facts about tattoos you can whip out at the next party to impress someone.

Tattoos and the law

You’d think that because it’s your body, you can do what you want with it, right? Guess again. Tattoos have a long and complicated history with the Law, all over the globe. Tattoos in Japan were illegal during parts of the 19th and 20th Centuries, and even today are banned from many public sectors, such as bath houses or Government jobs. And it’s not just a history lesson. New York City banned tattoos between 1961 and 1997, due to health concerns. Even today in turkey, tattoos are banned by law.

Prison tattoos

While tattoos can be a form of expression, rebelliousness, or even just a drunken mistake, some tattoos are a lot more serious. Prison tattoos are fraught with symbolism and meaning. From the Yakuza in Japan, to White Supremacist groups in the States, tattoos are a way to tell a story, or to tell others who or what you represent. Tattooing in American prisons is strictly forbidden, but of course that doesn’t stop it from happening. The tattooing equipment can be anything from modified ballpoint pens, to guitar strings.

Battle of the sexes

Did you know more women have tattoos than men? A recent survey (admittedly in America), showed that 59% of people tattooed were women, compared to 41% of men. Women may be more adventurous when it comes to getting a tattoo, but they also tend to regret it more than men, with a higher percentage opting for tattoo removal. This is due to the fact that women tend to add more significance to their ink, usually having a deeper meaning for them.

So there you go, three simple, yet incredible facts about tattoos. If you’re interested in getting your first, or fiftieth tattoo, come see us here at Sunset Studios. Call us today to book an appointment, or if you've any questions.

Searching for an Auckland tattoo studio?

If you’re searching for an Auckland tattoo studio, then you’ve found Sunset. For classic, Pacifica and custom tattooing, Sunset Tattoo provides a professional and friendly setting for you to get your next tattoo.

History and location

In December 2014, after ten years of studying tattoo art around the world and in New Zealand's best tattoo studios, Tom McMillan opened his own Art studio together with his wife, well known NZ artist, Misery. The studio began as a private space for the pair to make art and tattoos, and has now grown into a busy art studio and tattoo shop. A year later their humble Auckland tattoo studio is now busier than ever. We pride ourselves on creating beautiful and bold tattoos to a professional standard and continue to share a huge passion for the craft of tattooing. We tattoo classic traditional pieces as well as custom work and are happy to tattoo flash straight off the wall too. We are also set up to take walk-in's most days.

The team

Tom McMillan has been tattooing for over 10 years and focuses on specializing in his own unique take on western traditional and Japanese tattoo styles. Tom switches easily between large-scale full body tattoos to palm size one-shot tattoos, and is always on the lookout for new, original design challenges.

Tristan Marler is of Te Rarawa descent, from the Hokianga in the far north. In 2014 he graduated from the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts institute with a diploma in Whakairo Rakau (traditional wood carving). Tristan is now tattooing full time, and specializes in Ta Moko, Blackwork, pattern work, geometric and dot-work tattoo styles.

Fabian Bidart hails from Chile, and has been tattooing in Auckland City since 2007. He specialises in western traditional tattooing.

Make a booking at Sunset

If you would like to request a booking or consultation you can send us an email, call us, or pop into the studio. If you have reference photos to show us please be sure to attach them to your email or print them off if you are coming into the studio. Please note that some of our tattoo artists are booked up for weeks so it pays to book in advance if you have a specific date in mind that you want to be tattooed on. As for consultations, they usually take around 10-20 minutes and are free of charge.

A Celtic knot by Tristan

So if you're interested in getting a tattoo, whether it's your 1st or 50th, there's an Auckland tattoo studio that knows exactly what you want. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Tips on getting your first tattoo

People get tattoos for different reasons, but no matter what your motives, it always pays to do your research beforehand. There’s a few things you need to be aware of before getting your first tattoo…

Avoid alcohol

Having a wee drink before you get your first tattoo may seem like a good idea, just to give you that little bit of Dutch courage, but don’t be tempted. Alcohol is an anticoagulant, which means it thins the blood. This thinning makes you bleed more during the tattooing, making it more difficult for the ink to settle properly. This can skew your new design, and make the recovery process take longer. Alcohol of course also impairs your judgment, so getting drunk before going into a tattoo parlour is never a good idea for obvious reasons.

Aftercare is crucial

Getting a tattoo isn’t like getting an injection; it’s not over once you leave the room. The next few days are extremely important for the healing process. You may have seen people with cling wrap around a new tattoo, but this isn’t a good idea. Your skin needs oxygen to breathe and heal itself, and wrapping it in plastic turns it into a bacterial playground, which can lead to infection. Clean and moisturise the tattoo the week after getting it, and you should be fine.

Know what you’re getting

Many people have foreign words or symbols tattooed on their bodies, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Chinese, Japanese or Arabic characters can look amazing, but make sure you know what they translate as. No matter how good they look, if you’re new ink means “Roundabout ahead” then you’re going to look like a bit of a dick in any language.

Come see us at Sunset Tattoo and we’ll make your first tattoo something special that you’ll never regret. 

Come to Sunset Studio for a unique tattoo

Unique tattoos can look awesome, but it’s the unique part that can throw people. Many people decide they want a tattoo, but don’t know what to get, so they go for the usual crap. How many girls have a tramp stamp that they regret? If you want something that represents you, or something you love, then unique tattoos are the perfect way to do it. Why get the usual generic crap that everyone else has? Is there a certain band that you love? Then instead of getting their name or logo tattooed, how about a line of their lyrics? That way only other die-hard fans will know what it represents, and you don’t have the same tattoo as all the other fans.

Unique tattoos can be found all over the internet, but copying one of these no longer makes it unique. It’s better to use these unique tattoos as inspiration, something to base an idea on, rather than something to simply copy. A good tattoo artist will sit down with you and talk first about what you want. A good, two-way discussion will result in some great ideas, and then those ideas will transform into unique tattoos. Never rush your tattoo, you can get it at anytime, but removing it is a different matter. Make sure you’re happy with it first before going under the needle. Once you’ve decided on a design, then take a few days to mull it over. Your artist will be happy to draw it on for you in pen first, allowing you to “wear” it for a few days and see how you feel about it. Unique tattoos maybe one of a kind, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be “uniquely” regrettable.

Here at Sunset Studio, we’re almost exclusively about unique tattoos. Our world travelled, experienced tattoo artists all have their own unique style, making sure that every tattoo they pen is a one of a kind. For your own personalized, beautiful unique tattoo, come see us.