Koi Fish tattoos – meaning and symbolism Part 2

Welcome back to our second part of the meaning and symbolism behind one of the tattoo industry’s most popular designs, the koi fish.

Symbolism in koi designs

The koi represents many things, but mostly determination, perseverance, and strength, all harking back to their legend of swimming to the top of a waterfall and turning into a dragon.

This myth also incorporates the ideals of overcoming obstacles and reaching a goal, as well as completing a transformation in life.

Dragons of course are extremely powerful, and koi can represent someone who believes they are on a journey to becoming successful.

Koi and their colours

Koi were originally carp, but much like how dogs came from wolves, humans have bred them into their own species.

Along the way, certain fish were bred for their colours, resulting a beautiful rainbow of options. Each colour of koi represents a different meaning.

The black koi is associated with overcoming darker obstacles, such as drug addiction, depression, or an abusive relationship. The black koi is favoured by those who have come through a lot in life, and have finally made it out the other end.

Red, as in most cultures, represents love. Variants of red can represent female family members, such as orange for a mother and pink for a sister.

Red is also of course a symbol for power and bravery, with associations with blood. It is also said that if a koi is caught, it will await the cut of the knife without a quiver with the bravery of a Samurai warrior facing the sword in battle. This clearly portrays the cultural beliefs in the strength and courage of the koi.

The blue koi is often very masculine and can be associated with reproduction. Blue and white koi are symbols of the son of a family. As with anything blue, it also represents peace, tranquillity, and calmness.

Tattoos often use a combination of yellow and orange to represent a gold-coloured koi. These gold-coloured fish symbolize fortune and wealth. The Japanese term for them is yamabuki.

Come see us for a beautiful koi tattoo

If you would like a stunning koi tattoo, come and talk to us here at Sunset. Tomtom has extensive experience with Japanese art, and some of his work is simply stunning.

Contact us today for more information, or if you’re in Auckland, why not pop in and say hello. Are friendly staff will be happy to have a chat with you.

Koi Fish tattoos – meaning and symbolism Part 1

Wildly popular in the tattoo industry are koi fish, especially when it comes to Japanese themed designs.

If you’re thinking about getting a koi tattoo then read this first to understand their meaning and history. The design, colour, shape and direction of the fish can change its meaning.

Koi fish in Chinese and Japanese culture

Koi have a long history in first Chinese and then Japanese culture, with the former introducing the fish to the later.

Koi fish feature in the work of Japanese tattoo art because of a long-standing legend of how the fish become dragons. Most of the meaning and symbolism behind the fish stems from this ancient myth.

According to legend, there were once thousands of koi swimming up the Yellow River in China, only to be halted by a waterfall. Most of the koi turned back, but some continued to make it to the top of the waterfall, struggling for a century.

Finally, a single koi successfully leaped to the top of the waterfall, and to reward his dedication, the gods turned it into a beautiful golden dragon.

To this day, the waterfall is known as "Dragon's Gate".

The direction of Koi in a tattoo

This one is open to interpretation depending on who you ask, but remember, a tattoo is all about you, and what’s you derive from its meaning.

For some, koi swimming upstream symbolise someone who is currently struggling against the current, but refuses to give up – just like the koi in the legend.

Swimming downstream however can mean that you’ve already overcome serious challenges, and now you are no long fighting the current.

Check in next week for part two, when we talk about the colours and symbolism of koi in tattoos.

New year, new tattoo! Come see us for your next ink

With every passing year we get a wee bit older and a wee bit wiser (hopefully), but for those of us who collect tattoos, it’s another year we can tell a story and add to our collection of ink.

If you’re in New Zealand, then there’s no where better to get a tattoo than right here at Sunset.

Based in the heart of Auckland City, Sunset has a reputation of excellence, honesty and skill, with a long line of satisfied customers behind us.

Our amazing artists specialise in traditional, blackwork, Maori tribalism, and Japanese tattooing. Our focus is on providing customers with the best possible service in a warm, private, sterile environment.

The safest tattoo studio in Auckland

Sunset tattoo studio is a clean, sterile, private and fun environment, which adheres to the strictest health standards.

We always keep our tattoo accessories in the most sterile condition. Before we start working on your tattoo, our tattoo artist will disinfect and shave the area where you want your tattoo.

We do this with disposable razors that we only use once. We will also show you the sealed tattoo needle and open the pouch in front of you.

After we’re finished with your tattoo, we’ll throw the needle out. Each needle is only used once, and you can see this for yourself, putting your mind at rest.

It is likely that your skin will bleed a little when getting a tattoo. That’s why all our tattoo artists are wearing gloves throughout the entire tattooing process. It’s safer for you and for them. You could walk into a hospital and not notice the difference. That’s how clean and hygienic our tattoo studio is!

For a safe, and friendly tattoo experience, visit our Auckland tattoo studio today, or contact us via phone: +64 (9) 376-3423 or drop us an email on: info@sunsettattoo.co.nz

Merry Christmas from Sunset and have a great 2019!

Sunset studio would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to all our clients, staff and supporters and a big thank you for making our 2018 a year to remember.

Another great year for Sunset Tattoo

2018 saw our sister site, Tattoo Station, grow in strength. We are now one of New Zealand’s premier tattoo supply companies, as well as one of the most respected tattoo studios in Auckland. Our aim with Tattoo Station is to bring the very best tattoo supplies to New Zealand but at a reasonable price, and we’ve exceeded even our highest expectations.

April this year saw the Great Auckland Flash Party held once again. This two-day special event sees some of the best tattoo artists in the country offer reduced rates for their work, and is fast becoming a new tradition here in the Auckland tattoo scene.

New faces, new services

In May we started offering the piercing expertise of Nic Fletcher, one of the best in the business. Nic has years of experience with piercings, and started taking walk-ins on a Saturday here at Sunset Studio.

November saw us once again heading to Australasia’s biggest tattoo festival, the NZ Tattoo & Art Festival 2018, now in its 8h year. With over 300 artists from all over the world attending, it was a weekend we’ll never forget!

The perfect Christmas pressie!

If you’re wondering what to get someone for Christmas, we’ve got good news. 2018 saw Sunset open their merch shop, so you’re spoilt for choice for things to buy someone! Actually, forget someone else, treat yo’self!

We’ve got some really sweet prints for you to frame, or unique shirts and hoodies to wear and let everyone know you’re cooler than they are. If you’re not sure what to get someone else, then grab a Sunset Gift Certificate, redeemable on the merchandise or on a tattoo

So thanks again to everyone who helped make our 2018 so amazing. Roll on 2019 and even more success!

Sailor Jerry; father of the traditional tattoo

Ever wondered why traditional, or “Old School” tattoos all look the same? Where did this style come from? And why is it still so popular today?

Well, it may surprise you to learn that this wildly popular style of tattooing came from one man; Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins.

Did he invent tattoos?

No, of course he didn’t. Tattoos go back thousands of years, but Sailor Jerry made them cool.

See, before the start of the 20th Century, tattoos in the West were almost exclusively found on sailors. When the shit hit the fan and the Second World War broke out, thousands of young men signed up to go fight in the Pacific against the Japanese. The base for operations in the Pacific was Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, and guess who happened to live there?

Sailor Jerry saw hundreds of young men come into his tattoo studio looking for some ink, no longer caring about society’s view on tattoos. There was a good chance they’d never make it home again, so why worry?

How he started

Norman Keith Collins grew up in California, and started tattooing people from a young age as he hopped the freight trains and crossed the country long before Kerouac ever did.

At age 19 he enlisted in the Navy, and travelled to the South Pacific, where he was exposed to the art and imagery of Southeast Asian and Polynesian cultures. This would influence his style dramatically, along with traditional sailors tattoos, and give him the distinctive look he would become famous for.

After his service he settled in Hawaii, where he tattooed people for the rest of his life.

Sailor Jerry’s legacy

His influence on the art of modern tattooing is undeniable (check out a documentary called Hori Smoku).

Sailor Jerry was the first Westerner to correspond with and learn directly from the great Japanese tattoo masters, combining their techniques with his own gusty American sensibility to come up with a new style of tattooing.

This new style combined vivid colours, bold iconography and sheer artistic ambition to create a new kind of tattooing, sometimes beautiful, sometimes bawdy, sometimes both.

Beyond this, he was also innovative on a more technical level, pioneering modern tattoo machine configurations, sterilization techniques and purple ink. One of his students was Don Ed Hardy, who went on to become a legend in the industry in his own right.