Fāfāpiti

Design Story

This manta tattoo designed for the back was prepared for Grzegorz and it has the peculiarity of having a realistic look on one side of the back and being designed in Polynesian style on the other side.
In particular, we used Tahitian elements for the darker parts and Maori elements to mirror the lighter spots on the realistic side.

The tropic bird in the middle represents a leader, reaching his goals clearly set in front of him (the star), and leading others (the row of birds).
The mere is a chiefly symbol of authority and honor, and it is shaped in the center by a taniwha, which symbolizes power and respect.

The puhoro motif represents physical prowess and speed, and it is incorporated into the ahuahu o Mataora which is a path full of challenges leading each step higher.

The mangopare (hammerhead shark motif) pairs the hammerhead shark with a warrior in its head representing strength and tenacity like the spearheads, the octopus tentacles, and shark teeth.

The lizard is a symbol of good luck and protection (like the tiki and the teeth of taniwha), here also used to symbolize a passion for climbing while waves and fish were used to represent a passion for swimming and water.

Coconut leaves are for prosperity, te ara poutama (the path to knowledged) leads to new teachings (rauponga whakarare, a hidden meaning) and the stepping stones symbolize everything learnt and achieved.

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