Tattoo of Whakapaparanga

DESCRIPTION AND MEANING:

This half sleeve tattoo extending onto shoulder blade and pec tells the story of Luke and of his family, from past to present.

A constant element in his family´s history is voyage, represented by various rows of birds and by a line of waves (change) starting on the shoulder blade and ending on the pectoral, binding the whole tattoo together.

Family is the other main element, represented by the turtle on the shoulder and by the enata, protected by an all seeing eye, by the tiki, the manaia and by the lizard along the pec´s edge (luck and protection).

In both past and present there are symbols for the warrior (kena, spear heads and centipede) who fought in order to reach stability, prosperity, freedom and his own family, thanks to all that he learnt along the way (the stones along the base of the armband).

The adze within a sun made of coconut leaves represents prosperity earned thanks to professionality and craftsmanship.