Stu McDonald
Tā moko artist and teacher; founding member, Moana Moko · Tauranga, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Style
- Tā moko
- Regions served
- Aotearoa (New Zealand)
About McDonald’s work
Tauranga tā moko artist and teacher with whakapapa links to Ngāti Rehua, Te Moutere o Aotea and Ngāti Maika. RNZ (2018) reports he began doing moko while studying at the University of Waikato in the mid-1990s and was a founding member of the Tauranga collective Moana Moko in 2010.
Motifs documented in Aotearoa · Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Maika work
These symbols are recorded in the Aotearoa · Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Maika design vocabulary in our sourced motif library. They are not a claim about McDonald’s personal repertoire — each entry links to its own cited meaning.
Frequently asked about Stu McDonald
Where is Stu McDonald based?+
Stu McDonald is recorded as working from Tauranga, Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa (New Zealand)).
What style of Polynesian tattooing does Stu McDonald practise?+
Stu McDonald is listed as a tā moko artist and teacher; founding member, moana moko working in tā moko, within the Aotearoa · Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Maika tradition.
Is Stu McDonald a traditional or contemporary practitioner?+
Stu McDonald is listed as a contemporary practitioner, working with modern machine or mixed methods informed by Aotearoa · Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Maika design conventions.
What sources support this profile?+
This profile cites 1 public reference: RNZ Te Ahi Kaa — Taa Moko Sessions: Stu McDonald (2018).
Sources & citations
Each statement on this profile is written to match the public sources below. Follow the links to check the details on McDonald for yourself.
More context on Aotearoa · Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Maika tattoo practice: Aotearoa · Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Maika culture page · motif library · placement guide · choosing an artist