Carl Cocker -Kalia Tattoo, Auckland, Aotearoa:

I was born in Auckland in 1981 and was raised in Tonga. Art was one of my favorite hobbies in school. I spent some of my high school years in Fiji which exposed me to some of the Western art traditions. At this point I had developed an interest in the art and practice of tattooing.

A pivotal point in my life took place when my brother, 'Afa, and I were sent to Malaysia in 2001 for further study in Electrical Engineering. It was there in Malaysia that I started getting into the practice of tattooing. We both started out as self-taught tattoo artists using homemade machines from sewing needles and small motors. I experimented on myself before tattooing others. Tattooing became something that I loved so much and I decided to try and make a career out of it, but I was totally self-taught. This led to working with a Filipino tattooist by the name of Spec, whose knowledge in sterilization and hygiene were beneficial to my development as
a tattoo artist and practitioner. Spec had a studio called Zoo Body Art in Kuala Lumpur. I was tattooing mainly Western designs in Malaysia because there was not a lot of interest in Polynesian designs. However, when I moved to America, I continued tattooing and found that Polynesian designs were more in demand. Eventually I settled back in Auckland starting in 2004, I worked with Inia Taylor at Moko Ink, where I learned much more about Maori art and picked up techniques from both Inia and other International artists that came through the shop.

In 2006, I went to Tahiti with Inia for the tattoo festival, Tattoonesia. It was an awesome of Inia and a great experience and opportunity for me to network with other artists from all over the world. People like Zulu were really nice to hang out with. It was also good to see what everyone had to show and where I see myself amongst them, especially since I was one of the youngest there. I won an award, so it was a good start to my convention experiences!

My love of tattooing spurred an interest in developing my knowledge in the art and I begun research into tattoo through magazines, books and the Internet. My goals are to build on my knowledge base by attending tattoo conventions as well as being active in reviving the art and practice of tatatau in Tonga. I hope that 'Afa and I, as well as the other Tongans involved in tattooing can stick together to help keep the art alive, and also encourage more Tongans to tattoo. Malo 'Aupito
'Afa Cocker -Zulu Tattoo, Los Angeles, and Kalia Tattoo, Auckland, Aotearoa

I had first started tattooing with my younger brother Carl Jr. in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2001. We were studying auto mechanics at Malaysia Tech College with the dream of one day making it to the Formula 1 racing pit stops. This never occurred, as I dropped out and as a result we were both kicked out of our dormitory. We had no money for food or housing, so I told my brother that we were going to start tattooing to make a living and we would practice on ourselves. We soon started tattooing friends, neighbors and former classmates - anyone that would let us. We used homemade machines using toothbrushes, pens, a stereo motor with a cell phone charger using metal hangers and sewing needles. It didn't feel good. I had learned how to make this prison-style machine in high school in Tonga. I arrived in the United States in April of 2002 but didn't start



tattooing again until July 2004 after having no luck finding a job. I decided to do Polynesian style motifs as there's a large Polynesian community here in California and along the West Coast. Since then, I've been doing all Polynesian art. My first year was hard because I had to learn how to use real tattoo machines on my own. Again, I practiced on myself, even tattooing for 12 hrs straight on Red Bull energy drink! I then began working here at Zulu Tattoo in 2006 after spending two years mastering some of the skills.

I grew up in Tonga raised by my grandparents, and remember my grandfather who often spoke of the great Chiefs of Tonga that wore the ta-tatau (traditional Tongan tattoo similar to the Samoan pe'a). I was raised hearing my grandmother speak of the supernatural and spiritual realms, but I knew art was in my blood. I later learned that my mother was an artist and maybe that's where I got my artistic abilities.
I tattoo mostly on the West Coast and in Hawai'i. My clients are mostly non-Polynesian and I usually mix different Polynesian styles on them because it doesn't matter in my mind. In believe they can have Polynesian tattoos in the same way that a Polynesian can have an iPod or wear Nike or Rocawear. I do advise my clients that I will not do a tattoo unless it has some meaning for them and I won't do a design if I don't know what it means. It's an art that was created to show identity, ranking or status. There are people today that are tattooing Polynesian art without knowing what it is simply because it looks good, and it's the artist's obligation to educate them. It's important for tattooists to learn the designs and their history.