Thousands to watch moko being tattooed in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO - When Tolaga Bay artist Mark Kopua starts work today in San Francisco he had better make sure he gets it right if he wants his future family Christmases to run smoothly -- he is giving a full body moko to his uncle.

Kopua, of Te Aitanga a Hauiti, will be performing his art on Wayne Ngata in front of live audiences at the Toi Maori: Art from the Maori People of New Zealand exhibition which officially opened yesterday.

Kopua said his uncle was not worried about potentially thousands of people over the 10-day exhibition watching him being tattooed, despite the 20-60 hours of tattooing required for a moko.

"I don't think he's nervous -- I think he's prepared for the crowd."

Before coming to San Francisco, work began on the moko, laying out the broad design on Mr Ngata which will now be completed with greater detail.

"We've started already so although the work is large it will be an easier process for him to handle."

Neither was Kopua himself worried about any family repercussions from Mr Ngata if he made a mistake.

Kopua has been a carver for 25 years and a moko tattooist for eight.

Before embarking on a moko he and the subject spend time discussing genealogy and history -- their rivers, mountains and ancestors.

Lisa Elliott, event manager for the Yerba Buena Centre where the exhibition is being held, expected up to 1000 people a day could attend.

Yesterday the opening of the exhibition, a joint venture between Tourism New Zealand and Maori Arts New Zealand, was signalled by the sailing of the waka Te Ika a Maui down San Francisco's Golden Gate Harbour, landing on the beach.

And last night hundreds of invited guests including the Maori Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, New Zealand ambassador to the United States John Wood and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom as well as film personality Rena Owen and The Amazing Race presenter Phil Keoghan, a New Zealander, attended the exhibition's official opening.

The exhibition's creative director Darcy Nicholas said it was particularly appropriate to stage it in the United States because through the 20th century many Maori travelled overseas and met Americans and fought alongside them in wars, becoming influenced by them, which showed through in their art.

The exhibitions runs until August 14.

- NZPA