I am always asked to design work that holds meaning for the wearer. The word Kirituhi is Maori for ‘Skin Art’ although visually similar in the look of TaMoko, especially if the style is based on the Maori tribal patterns but the meanings held withing are very different.
As a none Maori the meanings withheld in the patterns and shapes can NOT mean anything specific, within Moko the symbolism, shapes and references indicate a specific, tribe, family, job, status and lineage within society. The Moko itself is a historic ledger of and the markings are specific to the ancestors of the individual, therefore as a none Maori person wanting to wear a tattoo inspired by Maori artwork, cannot have the same connection through the Moko as a Maori person, understandably.
However, tattooing is a very personal experience and the reason people get tattoos is wide and various. Kirituhi tattoos themselves stand for protection, growth and new beginnings and learning. Above that as a none Maori, no tribal meaning can be claimed from the patterns you wear in the same way Tamoko is for the Maori wearing Moko.
Kirituhi is a ever expanding artform, constantly developing and pushing it's own boundries. Recent design hybrids with Maori based Kuro and Celtic/Native American inner patterns are being designed within the tattoo. This crossover lends itself more to the idea of applying meaning to a Moko design on a person of a different ancestory origin to the Maori/Polynesian people.
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