Like father like son. Tattoo artist Trinity Ropiha has given his boy a moko for his 15th birthday. Is that too young?
Solo dad of six Trinity Ropiha's passion for tattooing is drawing him closer to his eldest son Traye.
“Tattooing your first kid is a big step for any tattooist, you've got to put in your utmost best work. I'm sucking back tears while I'm tattooing.”
Traye turned 15 yesterday and as a rite of passage, he asked his dad, a tattoo artist of 13 years, to design and etch a moko on his arm.
“I am his son after all, and so getting it done by him is a little bit overwhelming,” says Traye.
Being the eldest of six and raised by a solo dad in Rotorua, Traye admits his teenage life has been challenging.
“Getting trapped in my own head, thinking about things too much. Just contemplating on a lot of stuff. My worst enemy is me.”
But getting a moko has connected Traye to his Māori culture and his whānau.
“Kapa haka is my passion. So it feels right having a moko as my first. It gives me a sense of pride. The story of my moko is of my family and I'm just proud to wear my family on my shoulder.”
New Zealand doesn't have a legal age restriction for getting a tattoo. However, some council bylaws require parental consent at 18. Trinity says parents should be open to their children getting inked by a professional.
“It breaks my heart to see lot of tattoos on young kids that aren't done professionally. I've been in the industry long enough to know when someone is able to be tattooed. I know my son and I know my children and he's definitely at the age when he can start getting tattooed. If I was to hold it back to long, he'd probably so somewhere else,” says Trinity.
For Traye, he's pleased his connection to his father is more than skin deep
“We have our father and son moments and this has been one of the greatest,” says Traye.
