Mike's interest in tattoos started in his early teens. He got inked way before the legal age limit and formed firm friendships with well established tattoo artists in Auckland. It was fairly early on that Mike realized a 9-to-5 job was not for him and in his early 20’s Mike focused on his own professional tattoo career.
Through Mike’s association with TAANZ [Tattoo Artists Association of New Zealand] he joined the PTAA [Professional Tattooing Association of Australia]. A move from Auckland to Adelaide in the early 90’s saw Mike working in studios around the city and eventually ending up in Rundle Street. Several months later, the owner was looking for a buyer, offered Mike the business, he bought it, changed it and the rest is history.
The studio has also evolved artistically and although Mike has developed a firm following with his styles of neo-tribal and patterns of the Pacific, he is also enjoying the contrast of blending deep rich colour pieces. Mike’s lines are flawless, clean, consistent and solid and he still insists that all artists make their own needle groupings [a time consuming task that most commercial studios have long abandoned]. This ensures precise line definition, quality of end result and integrity of steel.
With knowledge of colour blending and the skin, Mike has been able to match and re-create the colours and texture of an Aureola [circular tssue around a nipple]. This has been helpful to many women who have survived breast cancer but had partial or full removal and reconstructive surgery – see Press Relsease in “Whats Newz”.
So check out Mike’s gallery below, you’ll see award winning tribal, full colour Japanese influenced sleeves, Hannya masks, Mexican sugar skulls, fluid script celebrating a favourite verse or dramatic grey shade. If you have a specific design in mind and would like to talk more about it, check out the “Whats Newz” ‘Information on Tattoo Consults’ on the home page of our website – it gives you an idea of what information we need to get started on your next awesome tattoo!
Keep checking back with Mike's biog for updated photos of tattoo work. Updated monthly.
Generic and specific Kiri Tuhi design of New Zealand
Specific geographical tribal tattoo is becoming more and more popular in the western world. The solid black neo-tribal art that Leo Zulueta and Hanky Panky made famous in the 80's [Henk inked Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers - tribal heart armband and Leo has tattooed many well known celebrities over his long and prestigious tattoo career], although still popular is being superceded by tribal art of specific cultures and locations.
Tattooers have been replicating the Celtic art of Ireland, Scotland and Wales - decorative and intricate tribal art for sure, for decades along with Borneo tribal spirals and stamp-type solid markings to denote stage of life and rite of passage also, however tribal tattooing from Tahiti, Hawaii, The Phillipines, Samoa, Tonga and The Cook Islands - not to mention our very own New Zealand are becoming prevalent in western society.
The breathtakingly beautiful art that these cultures create and wear, not only as tattoo art, but also carved in wood, painted on textiles, etched in jewellery and dyed on plant fibres, are being respectfully replicated by artists world-wide and worn with pride by peoples of all race and creed.
When Matt’s dad passed away in May 2009, Matt asked Mike to tattoo some ancient symbolism as a tribute to his father and what better way than using traditional hand tools... Click on the link to view the livestream sample of this procedure.
