Afafai

Design Story

This Polynesian armband tattoo inspired by Maori kirituhi designs was prepared for Ivano to represent his strength and ability to carry a great burden.

The moray eel representing adversities is kept at guard by the lizard and by the manaia that protects a new positive start (the koru within the sun) sought for with strength and tenacity (the hammerhead shark motif) to find a new freedom (the manta).
The bird inside the manta symbolizes a new perspective on the world while the teeth of taniwha along the edges represent continuous protection.

The steps of Mataora throughout the band represent the difficult steps to success, and we incorporated in it the maorigrams of the letters L, P, and G.

The main elements create openings in the edges not to block the flow of mana along the arm.

The colored image below helps identifying the main elements within the tattoo: