It's that time of year again! The NZ Tattoo & Arts festival is back!

It’s that time of year again! The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest tattoo event is back!

Featuring over 300 of the world’s best artists, the NZ Tattoo & Art Festival, will be held in New Plymouth in November, with Live music from Deadbeat & Bleeders, FMX & BMX shows, live performances, art & much more. 

This year’s festival will be held on the weekend of 23rd-24th November 2019 at the TSB Stadium.

AND AS USUAL THE SUNSET FAMILY WILL BE THERE!

We will all be heading down to New Plymouth again this year to join in the fun.

If you would like to get in with one of our artists or special guests you can contact us or message them directly ! @habbytattoo @adrian_hing_tattoo @capillitupou @manawa_tapu @luckyfelixtattoo @milky.tattoo @rogermoore_tattoo

You can get tattooed at the festival by either pre-booking an appointment via email/message or get a walk up booking.

Appointments are to be booked directly with the artists, make sure you include plenty of information in your email/message about what you want tattooed, size of tattoo, where on the body etc.

A large number of artists will be doing walk up tattoo appointments all weekend long. Tickets will go on sale soon and can be purchased from www.ticketek.co.nz or at the Ticketek box at the gate during the festival weekend.

And remember, the NZ Tattoo & Art Festival is a family friendly event, so bring the kids along! Alongside tattooing there is FMX & BMX shows plus a dedicated kid zone area. Kids 14 & under get in free when accompanied by a paying adult.

This is the 9th year of the Festival, and it’s only getting bigger each year! Come along for the fun and maybe grab yourself a tattoo while you’re there!

Racism affects one of the Sunset Family

Yesterday one of our tattoo family members decided enough was enough and spoke out about the regular racism he has to endure to get through Australian airports.

If you know @capillitupou , you know he is a person who likes to put his head down and get on with things, and isn’t used to publicly voicing anything personal or political.

So to do this was a hard thing for him.

We decided we would stand with him in solidarity and support him and his message of his experiences. Since posting his anger at his treatment, he has had literally hundreds of other Māori and people of Pacific Island descent come forward to him to say that they have had the same type of racist treatment when visiting or leaving Australia.

Change doesn’t happen unless people speak up and we just want to support every word he has said.

Here is Capilli’s statement in full:

I’m really sorry about this but I will be canceling my upcoming trip to Sydney.

Yesterday when I was travelling home from Australia I was stopped by Police at the airport. When I asked them why, they said I fit "a profile", I asked what the profile was and they said "Pacific Islander with tattoos". This is not the first time this has happened, and I knew the "profile" was just an excuse - shortly afterwards the same police officers questioned a women wearing a headscarf.

Over the years I have travelled a lot and this same or similar situation has happened several times in Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. It hasn't happened to me in other countries, or other airports, not LAX, not Heathrow, only in Australia.

The racism and racial profiling is disgusting and makes me feel less than. I have endured so much of it in Australia and yesterday was the final straw.

I have made the decision that I won't be returning to Australia for the time being - I feel unwelcome, and I'm not going to put myself through it anymore.

I know it's not all Australian's, I have so many best friends that are Australian, but arriving and departing is just too much, it's not nice and I'm worn down by it.

I'm sad about this decision, but I feel strongly about it and need to take a stand.

I am proud to be Samoan and Māori.

I hope to be able to return to Australia one day in the future, but in the meantime you're welcome to come and visit me in Aotearoa New Zealand.

#GiveNothingToRacism

Capilli is one of the best tattoo artists out there and one of the nicest guys you’re ever likely to meet. If you would like to book in with him for a stunning tattoo, then contact us today.

Photo-realistic tattoos: the pros and cons

Even for people who don’t like or are actively against tattooing, photo-realistic tattoos still command respect.

Whereas anyone can tattoo with some basic training, photo-realistic tattoos can only be done by bone fide artists.

So if they’re so amazing, why isn’t ever tattoo a hyper realistic one? We go through the pros and cons here:

Pros of photo-realistic tattoos

First of all, the obvious reason people would choose a photo-realistic tattoo; they look awesome.

Genuinely, a high-quality, hyper-realistic tattoo looks incredible, and can literally catch people’s breath. 

They’re a talking point with people, and usually makes the bearer the centre focal point of a party. 

Because of their detail, they are usually a portrait of a loved one, usually kids, or maybe even someone who’s passed. This also makes them unique, meaning that tattoo isn’t on a flashcard somewhere.

Cons of photo-realistic tattoos

As awesome as they are, photo-realistic tattoos do have their disadvantages.

Firstly, because of the level of detail, they take ages to do. Many sessions are usually required, probably at hours at a time.

Another reason some people might be put off is the price. 

Because they take so long, this is reflected in the final cost, so they are something that need to be thought over before taking the plunge.

As stunning as they are at first, tattoos fade over time, and photo-realistic ones are no different. 

As the body changes and the ink fades, details can go missing, meaning that in a decade from now, the image won’t look anywhere near as good as it first did.

No matter what type of tattoo you’re after, come and chat to us first. Our experienced artists will be happy to have a chat and give you friendly advice.

5 of the best tattoos inspired by album covers

Art is art, and album covers can sometimes bring out the very best in artists. 

Choosing an album cover is important for a band, because getting it right might bring with it iconic status, making the cover more memorable than the actual songs within.

The really memorable ones take on a life of their own, and of course, many people will have them as tattoos.

We’ve picked 5 of our favourites from the internet to you to admire, and of course, all credit goes to the original artists.

Joy Division - Unknown treasures

You’ve probably seen this one on a T-shirt, but having a back piece takes dedication!

Nirvana - In Utero

Not exactly the same as the album cover, but with some additional details, this tattoo smells like teen spirit.

The Beatles - Abbey Road

Possibly the most recognisable album cover of all time, this masterpiece recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, with thousands of people walking across the famous zebra crossing.

The Clash - London Calling

It may not be the most famous album cover of all time, but the Clash’s London Calling photograph might just be the coolest.

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane

We all miss Bowie of course, but for those of us who want to remember him with a tattoo, then there are plenty of options to choose from. The Aladdin Sane cover lends itself to a great minimalist tattoo.

Sunset’s Misery has teamed up with Blunt Umbrellas

Our very own artist Misery has teamed up with the amazing Kiwi Company Blunt Umbrellas to create this beautiful limited edition line of umbrellas. 

Blunt Umbrellas

Blunt are not playing around in the umbrella market. They plan on revolutionising it. Through bold, forward-thinking, they are challenging the status quo and changing the game in the process.

Blunt started when Kiwi engineer Greig Brebner was living in London. Dealing with rainy commutes everyday, Greig noticed how unsafe umbrellas were - being so tall, the spikes often poked him in the eye! He also noticed how umbrellas had become a throwaway commodity, mainly due to poor-quality materials and flimsy, outdated design.

Reinventing the Umbrella

To to save his eyes and reduce the number of broken umbrellas that end up as landfill each year, Greig set out to do something no one had done since 1928 - to re-invent the umbrella. And he began by re-designing the mechanisms.

Going right back to the drawing board, Greig married engineering innovation with no-fuss design styling to create something that exceeded even his own expectations: a ridiculously strong umbrella that could handle seriously wild weather.

After pushing countless prototypes to the limits in wind tunnels and on the blustery hills of Auckland, Greig finally did it. He'd re-invented the umbrella. And it just so happened to become the best umbrella in the world.

Misery in the rain

Sunset’s very own Mama Bear Misery has teamed up with Blunt Umbrellas to create a gorgeous, limited edition range.

"My husband breeds tropical fish, and for the past year our studio has been shared with quite a few aquariums, which is lovely to be surrounded by, and has definitely had some influence in creating this work. I wanted the design to be watery and dreamy but also quite graphic with eye-popping colour so it would really be noticed when coming down the street."

If you would like one the best umbrellas in the world, with a design from one of New Zealand’s top artists, then head on over to www.bluntumbrellas.co.nz to score one !