Keone Nunes
Traditional Hawaiian tattooist (uhi) · Waiʻanae, Oʻahu
- Style
- Uhi hand-tap kākau
- Regions served
- Global / diaspora
- Tradition
- Hawaiʻi tradition →
About Nunes’s work
Native Hawaiian master tattooist from Waiʻanae. First Peoples Fund describes him as at the forefront of the movement to bring uhi (traditional tattooing) back to the islands, using traditional Hawaiian/Polynesian tools exclusively since 1999, and named him a 2015 Community Spirit Award honoree. He leads apprentice students; First Peoples Fund also refers to him as Su'a Sulu'ape Keone Nunes.
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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 Nunes’s personal repertoire — each entry links to its own cited meaning.
Frequently asked about Keone Nunes
Where is Keone Nunes based?+
Keone Nunes is recorded as working from Waiʻanae, Oʻahu (Global / diaspora).
What style of Polynesian tattooing does Keone Nunes practise?+
Keone Nunes is listed as a traditional hawaiian tattooist (uhi) working in uhi hand-tap kākau, within the Hawaiʻi tradition.
Is Keone Nunes a traditional or contemporary practitioner?+
Keone Nunes 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 3 public references: First Peoples Fund — Keone Nunes, 2015 Community Spirit Award; First Peoples Fund — Walking with the Ancestors (apprenticeship); HAWAIʻI Magazine — Q&A with Keone Nunes on kakau.
How can I contact Keone Nunes?+
Publicly listed channels: @suluape_keone. PolyTribal does not book appointments or act as an agent.
Sources & citations
Each statement on this profile is written to match the public sources below. Follow the links to check the details on Nunes for yourself.
- First Peoples Fund — Keone Nunes, 2015 Community Spirit Award ↗firstpeoplesfund.org
- First Peoples Fund — Walking with the Ancestors (apprenticeship) ↗firstpeoplesfund.org
- HAWAIʻI Magazine — Q&A with Keone Nunes on kakau ↗hawaiimagazine.com
More context on Hawaiʻi tattoo practice: Hawaiʻi culture page · motif library · placement guide · choosing an artist