Uhi – A Woman’s Touch

Some years ago Rotorua Artist Henriata Nicholas wanted more than anything to learn the art form of uhi.

Uhi is the traditional form of ta moko using especially made hand-crafted chisels. It’s still seen by many as a predominantly male domain and Henriata soon came to realise that no one in Aotearoa was willing to teach her.

But Henriata (Te Arawa/Tainui) was willing to sacrifice her whole way of living to learn the art. She was adamant that she was not going to use a tattoo gun as many of today’s ta moko artists do.

Her aspirations became a reality when Keone Nunes, a Hawaiian expert in uni (or kaka as it is known in Hawaii), invited her over to learn to be his student. Although there was a lot of opposition from her peers, with the help of an indigenous exchange grant from Creative New Zealand, she took up the invitation and in 2002 began her journey of learning.

For three months, alongside six apprentices, all male, Henriata learnt how to make the necessary tools, ink, and how to use them on skin.

“It was awesome to have that time there. I think I am still the only woman Keone has ever taught,” she says.

Henriata says she has improved a hundred time over from her very first tap.

Earlier this year she demonstrated uni publicly at the Toi Ake Tuwharetoa Maori Art and Design Expo held at Hirangi Marae in Turangi. There she won the Peoples’ Choice Award along with fellow phi ta moko artists Haki Williams and Hemi Te Peeti.

“The challenge for me is to carry on the art form; to teach others and to demystify some of the things people have been wondering about uhi,” says Henriata.

From beginning to end uhi is usually a time-consuming process. The whole procedure begins with building a relationship with the client, taking into account any issues or reactions they may have. Henriata will often travel to wherever her client will feel more comfortable, perhaps at home or on their marae.

“Time and the relationship with a client are the most important things and that’s the difference between uhi and using a tattoo gun. Most gun tattooists can’t find that time with a client.”

Henriata says people usually know exactly what they want thought they may not want to put in the amount of time that goes with uhi. If they are unsure of what they want, she tells them to go and do their research.

Besides uhi, Henriata has 15 years’ experience in graphic design and still does various contract work designing branding and marketing. She also paints, sculpts and weaves and sells some of her work to a hamilton art gallery. She attributes her artistic talent to her ancestry. She has a proud history of women artists in her whakapapa, a fact her older brother tohunga whakairo and tohunga ta moko artist Te Rangi Kaihoro, will gladly verify.