Hi, my name is Em and I am a hand-poke tattoo artist mostly living and working in Whaingaroa, Aotearoa, more commonly known as “Raglan, New Zealand.” Before I moved here I owned a licensed, private tattoo studio in Tkaronto (Toronto, Canada) called Easy Does It. This space still exists today and I make yearly trips back to visit! I worked as part of a collective of three artists and friends who strived (and still do) to create a comfortable environment where all people are welcome.

In the last two years I have been travelling for work while mostly based in Aotearoa. For the majority of my career I benefited from my studio practice being established on stolen land. I’m greatly indebted to my privilege as a settler on the territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Huron-Wendat Nation, the Anishinaabe Peoples, the Chippewa, and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. As a new visitor to Aotearoa I benefit from the established tāmoko culture that is so prevalent. As an artist that depends on tattooing for my livlihood I am grateful that I live somwhere where tattoos are so widely respected and sought after. I strive to remain accountable to learning Indigenous history on a global scale and as well as maintaining a critical understanding of the ongoing disruptions colonialism has on all land.

I have been practicing a self-taught hand-poking technique for seven years. Tattooing non-electrically allows me to foster a manual deliberateness in my practice. I think it’s important to understand that my technique is not about efficiency but about patience and process. Sometimes a tattoo will take longer (or shorter) than expected and it’s the nature of the method. Recently, I’ve added a tattoo machine to my tool belt and will offer it upon request :)

Please feel free to check out my FAQ if you have any questions or curiosities about my process!