New Zealand TattooNew Zealand Tattoo

New Zealanders are the most tattooed people in the world, and the new book New Zealand Tattoo showcases the art form, its practitioners and its history. New Zealand Tattoo features stunning photography by Chris Hoult, with text by Steve Forbes profiling leading tattoo artists including Merv O'Connor, Gordon Hatfield, Jason Parkinson and Te Rangitu Netana, revealing their styles and what makes them tick. The book features 23 tattoo artists from the South Island West Coast to the Far North, a concise history of tattooing, and a round-up of the most recent Auckland International Tattoo Convention. It chronicles the amazing diversity of styles in New Zealand now, from the original ta moko (artists like Gordon Toi, Riki Manuel and Te Rangitu Netana) to a profusion of Pacific, Asian and European forms. Other artists featured in the book include Auckland International Tattoo Festival organisers Nehe Reuben and Pip Russell, German-Kiwi tattooist Monique Mataga, Elam School of Fine Arts graduate Andy Tauafiafi, and Christchurch tattooists like Brad Cone and Andy Swarbrick whose premises were destroyed in the 2011 earthquake.