Mokomae is the name of an ancestral warrior of the Ure tribe, who inhabited the Poike region in ancient times. Today that name resonates through Tito Hormazábal Araki, a Rapanui tattoo artist who has chosen to carry that name as his own identity, connecting his present with the history of his tribe and his Polynesian roots. “Iorana, welcome Mokomae” — this is how this man introduces himself, a man who has devoted his life to recovering and keeping alive the art of traditional Rapanui tattooing, a legacy that nearly disappeared following the arrival of European missionaries and which today resurges as a symbol of cultural identity.
The Ancestral Mokomae and the Poike Ure Tribe
The Ure tribe has deep roots in the history of Rapa Nui. From the Poike region, Mokomae’s ancestors were integral parts of pre-Hispanic Rapanui society. One of his modern descendants is Luis “Tito” Hormazábal Araki, son of a Chilean who came to work on the construction of the Mataveri airport and a Rapanui mother who transmitted to him the ancestral pride of his tribe.
Tito did not always carry the name Mokomae. But seeking to reaffirm his maternal blood and his culture, he decided to adopt that name as a way of honoring his ancestors. “I was born on the Island. I’m a half-breed who loves both cultures. From my mother I inherited the pride of being Rapanui, their spirituality and the ancestral customs. Although I don’t speak fluently, I like the language and continue to learn it. From my father, who arrived on the Island to work with the company which was building the airport, I learned discipline and respect for the family. In all of my 34 years, I have never heard him even raise his voice to my mother,” Mokomae recalls with admiration.
The meaning of carrying this name is profound: it represents continuity between the ancestral Ure tribe and the new generations of Rapanui who struggle to maintain their identity in a constantly changing world.
Tito Hormazábal Araki: Modern Tohunga ta Moko
A Tohunga ta Moko is a master Rapanui tattoo artist, guardian of ancestral knowledge and the art of traditional tattooing. Tito Hormazábal is one of the few living masters of this tradition in Rapa Nui. His journey began in the 1990s, when a renowned Polynesian anthropologist, Tricia Allen — an expert in Polynesian tattooing — visited the island in 1992 during the filming of “Rapa Nui”, Kevin Costner’s film.
“Tricia began to invite me and Andrés ‘Panda’ Pakarati to tattoo conventions in Tahiti, so that today we have the technology and access to modern equipment,” recalls Mokomae. Those invitations marked a turning point: while the Western tattoo world advanced, Rapanui masters like Tito gained access to new tools without losing the ancestral root of their designs.
Today, Mokomae has done over 5,000 tattoos in the 18 years he has been working. “I do a fusion of Polynesian and Rapanui tattoo, since each island of Polynesia has its own particular way of drawing their symbols,” he explains with pride. But with that expansion of reach came also an ethical responsibility: “Tattoo on the body is a painful operation, but the pain is manageable. The most important aspect is the hygiene. The care taken in the entire process is as important as the intensive hydration that must follow in, at least, a week after tattooing. We are in the middle of an ocean. Thousands of people come through here. We have to take care of ourselves.”
The Evolution of Tattoo in Polynesia
Before the Europeans arrived, Polynesian languages were not written. They were only oral, but reinforced through tattoo and body painting. The symbolic designs of tattoo served to express identity and personality. They indicated social rank, sexual maturity, and genealogy — information that today scholars of the origins of the Polynesians recognize as essential to understanding the structure of Pacific Island societies.
Tattooing was considered sacred in the ancestral cults and mythology of the islands, practiced only in special places and during relevant ceremonies and rituals. In the past, all people from the onset of puberty were tattooed. Tattooing usually began around 8 years of age and was completed step by step. With the passing of the years, the human body would become a true work of art, with designs meant to last for eternity.
The connection between tattoo and the divinity in Polynesia is profound. Designs were not merely decorative, but carried spiritual meanings and connections with the gods of Rapanui mythology.
Tattoo as Rapanui Identity
Soon after the arrival of European missionaries, this practice was strictly forbidden. The imposition of Christianity did not contemplate the forms of ancestral Rapanui expression. For more than a century, the art of tattooing disappeared from the island, one more victim of cultural colonization.
It was only at the beginning of the 1980s that the art of tattooing was reborn. Polynesians began to renew their relationship with their cultural heritage and are now proud of their identity. Today young and older individuals seek out Mokomae with diverse motivations: some for aesthetic reasons, others because they seek to reaffirm their Rapanui identity.
“Now there is a strong interest among the young people to tattoo themselves, both men and women, principally for the aesthetic aspects, but also to reaffirm their Rapanui identity,” confirms Mokomae. “Some come to me because it’s fashionable. Others come because they are drunk and afterward they are sorry. I simply don’t accept to work on those.”
It is the ethic of a master: not every body receives the art of tattooing. There must be an intention, a conscious connection with the tradition. An understanding that bearing a Rapanui tattoo is part of an unbroken chain that comes from the iconography and oral tradition of Rapa Nui.
Mokomae can show files of a wide variety of tattoos he has performed, each one unique, each one telling a different story on the body of the one who bears it. Every line, every symbol, is a word in a language that almost was lost but today resurges with strength.
The Future of the Legacy
Sometimes Mokomae spots a pregnant woman. He then thinks of something that worries him: “I think that I should leave a descendant who can do tattoo here on the Island. With the continual cultural mixing, this art could be lost…”
It is a profound reflection on continuity. Just as the Ure tribe has remained for centuries in Rapa Nui, the art of tattooing must find its bearers of tomorrow. Mokomae is not just a tattoo artist — he is a guardian of knowledge that, like his ancestors, must pass from generation to generation.
The name Mokomae is today a living symbol of that continuity. Every line he traces on the skin of his clients is an act of cultural resistance, a vote of confidence that Rapanui identity will continue to shine under the sun of the Pacific.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mokomae and Rapanui Tattoo
Who was the ancestral Mokomae?
Mokomae was an ancestral warrior of the Ure tribe who lived in the Poike region in pre-Hispanic times of Rapa Nui. Today, Tito Hormazábal Araki has adopted that name as a way of honoring his ancestors and reaffirming his Rapanui identity.
What is a Tohunga ta Moko?
A Tohunga ta Moko is a master Rapanui tattoo artist, guardian of ancestral knowledge and techniques of the traditional art of tattooing. Tito Hormazábal is one of the few living Tohunga ta Moko in Rapa Nui today.
How many tattoos has Mokomae done?
Mokomae has done over 5,000 tattoos in the 18 years he has been working as a master tattoo artist, combining Polynesian techniques with unique Rapanui designs.
How did Mokomae become a tattoo artist?
Tito Hormazábal began his career as a tattoo artist in the 1990s thanks to invitations from Tricia Allen, a Polynesian anthropologist expert in tattooing, who invited him to conventions in Tahiti where he gained access to modern technology and equipment.
Why did Rapanui tattooing almost disappear?
European missionaries strictly forbidden the practice of tattooing after their arrival, considering it contrary to the Christian religion. It was only at the beginning of the 1980s that the art began to be reborn as a symbol of Rapanui cultural identity.
