Li'aifaiva Imo Levi
Tufuga ta tatau · Sāmoa / Aotearoa New Zealand
- Style
- Customary Samoan tatau — pe'a and malu
- Regions served
- SāmoaAotearoa (New Zealand)
- Tradition
- Sāmoa tradition →
About Levi’s work
Tufuga ta tatau (Li'aifaiva Imo Lavea Levi) who tattooed the malu of New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni. NZ Herald reports his clients have included boxer David Tua, actor Tanoai Reed and Sol3 Mio tenor Amitai Pati, and that each tatau client is gifted a special ie lavalava on completion.
Motifs documented in Sāmoa work
These symbols are recorded in the Sāmoa design vocabulary in our sourced motif library. They are not a claim about Levi’s personal repertoire — each entry links to its own cited meaning.
Frequently asked about Li'aifaiva Imo Levi
Where is Li'aifaiva Imo Levi based?+
Li'aifaiva Imo Levi is recorded as working from Sāmoa / Aotearoa New Zealand (Sāmoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand)).
What style of Polynesian tattooing does Li'aifaiva Imo Levi practise?+
Li'aifaiva Imo Levi is listed as a tufuga ta tatau working in customary samoan tatau — pe'a and malu, within the Sāmoa tradition.
Is Li'aifaiva Imo Levi a traditional or contemporary practitioner?+
Li'aifaiva Imo Levi 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 1 public reference: NZ Herald — The traditional tattooist behind Carmel Sepuloni's tatau (2023).
Sources & citations
Each statement on this profile is written to match the public sources below. Follow the links to check the details on Levi for yourself.
More context on Sāmoa tattoo practice: Sāmoa culture page · motif library · placement guide · choosing an artist