Hotua

Design Story

Tenacity, determination, and achieving the goals set are the main meanings in this Polynesian half sleeve tattoo prepared for Erick.

The central hammerhead shark represents him as a warrior, protecting the manta that symbolizes freedom: the Marquesan cross in it represents the harmony he gets from it.
The shark includes a warrior, shark teeth, spearheads, and octopus tentacles to represent strength, tenacity, and adaptability.

There is a star in front of the shark to symbolize the goals set, pursued to reach success (the sun), stability (the mountains), and prosperity (fish and coconut leaves).
The koru symbolizes a new start, protected by the lizard representing good luck and health.

In the past there are a moray eel, symbols for pain, and opposing waves to symbolize the adversities left behind, with favorable waves in the future to represent a change for the best, protected by the all-seeing eye and the two tiki.

The row of birds and the mōlina symbolize voyage, taking him to see many places and many cultures (all the different people placed along the voyage: they are all different but basically all the same, to symbolize how despite having different cultures, we are all the same.
The path of Kamehameha symbolizes the challenges faced along the path, and the ahuahu o Mataora shows the steps to success.

The centipedes at the base, between the stepping stones (lessons learnt and achievements) represent Erick's fighting spirit, while the single bird going in a different direction from the others symbolizes independence, with a mark close to it to underline its importance.

The colored image below shows the main elements within the tattoo: