Keliʻiokalani Mākua
Kā Uhi (titled practitioner) · Mākaha, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
- Style
- Kākau uhi (hand-tapped Hawaiian tattoo)
- Regions served
- Global / diaspora
- Tradition
- Hawaiʻi tradition →
About Mākua’s work
Hawaiian tattoo artist who works by hand-tapping with a mōlī at his home studio in Mākaha. Hawaiʻi Public Radio (2017) reported he had studied the practice for nearly three decades. Ka Wai Ola (2021) names him as a student of Keone Nunes holding the title Kā Uhi.
Motifs documented in Hawaiʻi work
These symbols are recorded in the Hawaiʻi design vocabulary in our sourced motif library. They are not a claim about Mākua’s personal repertoire — each entry links to its own cited meaning.
Frequently asked about Keliʻiokalani Mākua
Where is Keliʻiokalani Mākua based?+
Keliʻiokalani Mākua is recorded as working from Mākaha, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi (Global / diaspora).
What style of Polynesian tattooing does Keliʻiokalani Mākua practise?+
Keliʻiokalani Mākua is listed as a kā uhi (titled practitioner) working in kākau uhi (hand-tapped hawaiian tattoo), within the Hawaiʻi tradition.
Is Keliʻiokalani Mākua a traditional or contemporary practitioner?+
Keliʻiokalani Mākua is documented within a traditional lineage, meaning the practice is tied to hand-tap tools and customary transmission of the craft.
What sources support this profile?+
This profile cites 2 public references: Hawaiʻi Public Radio — Making His Mark: Keliʻi Makua (2017); Ka Wai Ola — Kākau: A Song Remembered (2021).
Sources & citations
Each statement on this profile is written to match the public sources below. Follow the links to check the details on Mākua for yourself.
- Hawaiʻi Public Radio — Making His Mark: Keliʻi Makua (2017) ↗hawaiipublicradio.org
- Ka Wai Ola — Kākau: A Song Remembered (2021) ↗kawaiola.news
More context on Hawaiʻi tattoo practice: Hawaiʻi culture page · motif library · placement guide · choosing an artist