the other APT

Hohua Mohi

2008

Moko

Artist Statement

Mei kore ake te ataahua o te moko. He nui nga kaupapa rereke i mokoia ai te tangata. Ko te whakanui i wa ratou pepeha, i wa ratou hitori, i wa ratou whakapapa, i wa ratou whanau, i ta ratou tu i waenga i te iwi he aha ake ranei, he aha ake ranei. Heoi, ko to te moko mahi he karere he whakaatu a karu ranei i wenei korero ki te hunga matakitaki. He tohu hoki i te whakapono tuturu o te mokoira na ki aua korero i te mea he mea mau pumau ki te kiri mo ake tonu atu. He rereke te kaupapa o tetahi ki te kaupapa o tetahi atu. Ki te kore a kaupapa, kua kore a moko. Ko te tikanga matua ki te kitea ake he moko me mohio te kai titiro ko te moko na, ko wana korero, ko tana ahua, ko wana rarangi katoa e hangai pu ana ki a ia e mau ana i taua moko.

Moko is a thing of immense beauty. There are many reasons people wear moko. It may be to honour their identity, to show their history, their genealogy and their position within their tribe among many other things. The purpose however of moko is to portray and convey those stories to the onlooker. It is a way of honouring those stories and the permanence of those markings, to show the wearer’s dedication and belief in what the moko portrays. Every moko has a meaning, and that meaning differs from person to person. If there is no meaning you cannot call it moko. If one is to see moko, one must know that that moko, its stories and meaning, its patterns and all of its markings are personal to the wearer and to the wearer alone.

Bio

Hohua Mohi is a Maori Ta Moko artist based at the Gold Coast and makes regular trips to his homeland, Aotearoa. He has been extremely privileged to be mentored and tutored by expert Ta Moko artists, Gordon Toi Hatfield (who was a role model and responsible for giving him a push in the right direction) and more recently Mark Kopua (who plays an active role as adviser, councilor, guide and teacher). Both artists skill in the Medium of Ta Moko are world renowned. They have been an integral part of Hohua’s journey and have mentored him throughout his Moko career. Hohua has sat along side many tohunga Ta Moko and has also been a part of various Moko Wananga throughout Aotearoa. He lives by the belief that every experience is a learning experience. From his constant pursuing and study of Moko and its various elements he has acquired a diverse range of patterns, pattern meanings and tribal styles which are clearly evident in his Moko.

http://www.kupapaink.maori.nz