The Moral Tattoist: Rodrigo Nasa

I BROACHED MY INTERVIEW WITH TAURANGA TATTOOIST NASA WITH A LITTLE TREPIDATION. I MEAN AREN’T TATTOOS DONE BY DODGY GUYS IN DARKENED BACKROOMS? THERE’S A STIGMA ATTACHED TO TATTOOS FOR INSTANCE, NICE GIRLS DON’T HAVE THEM, ETC ETC.

Written by Penelope Jackson Photography: Quinn OConnell

Well I was wrong on all counts. Nasa’s clinic, Hammerhead Tattoos, in Grey Street, is a very clean and efficient tattoo studio. Add to this Nasa’s amazing moral and positive attitude. As he says, ‘I’m a father too and I’m not going to tattoo some young girl with her boyfriend’s name because it seems the right thing to do today - nah, you have to think long term about getting a tattoo. It’s with you for life and it’s a huge decision.”

 

Rodrigo Nasa is Brazilian. Born in 1974 to a farming family he admits to not being a good school student. Attending secondary school in the USA for 6 months opened his eyes to music and art and it was about then that he began drawing. Back home in Brazil his father urged him to get a job. A loan from his aunt gave him the funds to purchase his first tattooing equipment and by the age of 18 he had opened his first shop.

 

Well travelled Nasa ended up in New Zealand in 1999. He came here with a sense of purpose - to see and study the art of Maori tattooing. Other destinations have included places where the tattoo has a spiritual meaning for instance Thailand and the Pacific Islands. As Nasa tells me, “if a Buddhist monk or a Chief give tattoos they have deep spiritual meaning, these tattoos are about mana too.”

 

Tattoos remain popular and Nasa is kept busy. When a client visits he talks their design through with them often changing their mind to a happy outcome. He’s quick to point out that he doesn’t have a huge display of images for people to choose from as he wants them to do the thinking and visualising of design. Originality is crucial to the process. Because getting a tattoo applied to your body is a life decision the image has to be right. Currently text is popular among his clients, for example, family names, children’s names, and so on. Consent is important too. Nasa won’t tattoo anyone under the age of 18 years unless parental consent is provided.

 

Being a wuss I quizzed Nasa about the level of pain inflicted when tattooing. Apparently New Zealanders are a strong lot and don’t complain too much about the pain. And yes, no pain relief is given. Having a tattoo is a ritual for some cultures and feeling the pain is part of the whole experience. Clients are advised to have a good breakfast and a good night’s sleep before fronting up for their tattoo. Nasa likens the actual application as a burning sensation.

 

He talks customers through the process and for him it’s very important to build up a rapport with his client. Positive vibes and energy is what he’s seeking for he believes tattoos are empowering of strength. Of course there are certain parts of the body which are more sensitive than others. He suggests not to have a tattoo to your ribs first up as this is particularly painful.

 

The studio itself is clean and has similarities to a dentist’s room. Nasa explains how very careful you have to be about hygiene nowadays though unfortunately there are still some back shed operators who turn a blind eye to what he sees as very necessary requirements. Often he has people fronting up wanting patch up repairs done to amateur tattoos - but he won’t have a bar of it. Nasa is thoroughly professional. As he says you just can’t afford not to be these days and there’s no reason not to be with disposable needles for instance.

 

Nasa also pierces. Again he takes a sensible stance on piercing - he only does them where they won’t cause trouble. Like tattoos, piercing is a victim of fashion. He explains that when one of the Spice Girls got her tongue pierced shops were doing up to ten a day. And like the Spice Girls, that phase has passed.

And what will this cost you? The minimum charge is $100 no matter how small a tattoo you have and the main reason for this is the equipment and materials he uses. Piercing is approximately $50 depending on what and where you’re having holes put. Unfortunately there are few controls on tattooists in New Zealand effectively meaning anyone can set up shop. And it is this that mars the trade with those very preconceived stigmas I visited with.

 

Nasa’s daughter, Cleo, has her name emblazoned forever on his chest (a souvenir of a holiday in Japan). His family back in Brazil are very proud of his work and even his father now sports a small tattoo, a gift from Nasa. A delightful guy, Nasa conveys a great sense of pride in his work - indeed it’s more than simply a job or business. He is passionate about his chosen art form. In 2008 Nasa is hoping to fulfil his dream of owning a mobile tattoo bus - look out for it parked up at the Mount.