Professionals Tamborine Mountain 
Tattoos can be many things to many people. To the creative community of Tamborine Mountain, they can be a wonderful method of self-expression and a celebration of artistry. But for some, their meaning runs much deeper than that: some like Jacob Wood, owner and primary tattoo artist at The Divine Koru, see their tattoos as a representation of and a way to connect to their ancestral culture. For just over a year, Jacob has been sharing his culture with the mountain and, through his art, deepening the connection other Maori individuals have with their own. And while these tattoos might be Jacob’s preferred method of telling stories, he was kind enough to sit down with us and share his own.
by Kyle Hitchmough
What was your inspiration to open this location?
I used to play professional rugby back in New Zealand where I was born and bred, but then I had a career-ending shoulder injury about eight years ago that led me back into my artwork. When one door closes, another one opens. I came up with the name and the vision probably a year and a half ago. We’ve been on the mountain here for a touch over a year.
As well as a tattoo parlor, The Divine Koru is also a gift shop, correct? What gifts do you offer?
Yes, it’s a place for people in my network who have a lot of artwork that might just sit in the shadows. It gives them an opportunity to get the recognition they deserve. We’ve got prisms, little window ornaments, bangles, very much chakra-orientated or spiritually aligned. The artwork could be anything that sits in that bracket. I do my tā moko, some beautiful New Zealand native birds, and we’ve just recently got three big oil paintings from a friend of ours and some charcoal from our own Alastair. It’s a bit of a variety, but anything that fits with that sort of spiritual alignment.
What is tā moko?
Tā moko freehanding is the style of tattooing you’ll see mostly from myself. That’s what on my face, my Mataora. That’s my identity and I do Maori artwork, to put it basically. The client will come in and we’ll have a conversation, and I’ll interpret the appropriate patterns by looking at their body contours and draw it straight onto the skin. There’s no predesigns or anything, it’s all done intuitively in the moment with our connection to the above. I let it flow out of my hand and into the skin. But I also specialise in dotwork and geometrical patterns and photorealistic art.
Where does the name “The Divine Koru” come from?
A koru is the main spiral used in tā moko. We’ve got two pungas, which are the ferns out the front of the shop. You’ll see when they’re about to create a new frond that there’s a spiral that comes off it. That’s a koru. The Divine Koru!
Is the tā moko the most popular style of tattoo you do here?
That’s what I’m known for the most, yes. That’s what draws people in. I’ve competed in a few shows in the past and got recognition from there. You can see my awards when you walk in the door. My linework keeps me at the top of the game, and I’ve been able to follow my culture through my linework and represent accordingly. People do also recognise me for my geometrical dotwork and my photorealistic artwork as well, but it’s mostly the Maori tā moko.
What goes into the average day here for you?
The client can come in and check the vibe, where I can see how nervous they are– or not, if they’re a return customer! With the moko side of things, we have what’s called a kōrero, a conversation, and I learn why they’re here, what they’re wanting out of the piece, and what patterns to use. I start looking at their canvas, the skin, and then they sit down and I draw it onto their body with a Sharpie. I give it a few minutes to dry out once it’s on the skin, they can shoot out for a coffee and come back, and then they just try and keep still for me! About 6-8 hours later, they leave. Normally I do full days, it’s very rarely that I do smaller pieces these days.
Have you noticed any particular trends in your clientele?
It would be Maori because I specialise in that tā moko style, but I’m open to anything! Local Australians to international tourists. I’ve tattooed people from France, Italy, Sweden… It’s so variable in this area!
Are you a local? What’s your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain area and community?
Yes, me and my partner. It’s beautiful here, nice and quiet. I’ve lived in big cities, and the mountain reminds me of New Zealand, especially the weather. It’s got that fresh air that I love, that lets my artwork come through me. My partner is pregnant, so we’re looking to set up our family here.
What’s your favourite thing about living on the mountain?
Just the community here! The fish and chip shop, the diner, the Elevation Café, the local IGA where we do all of our shopping… We buy everything locally and send all of our clients to enjoy the local food and coffee. It’s been very welcoming, we’ve been able to connect with such lovely people. It really helps put people at ease, because some people are really nervous before they get a tattoo. Being able to get that nice vibration here adds to their experience.
What do you think The Divine Koru really provides to the area?
It’s giving a new light to our industry. If you talk to our local community, they’ll know what we’re truly about because they get to meet all of our lovely clients. It gives them a new perspective on our moko that hasn’t had the appropriate representation here in the past.
What do you enjoy most about doing this?
Being able to create art daily, heal people and give them a chance to connect to their lost culture, and see that smile at the end of the day. And to start my family by doing something that I love. That’s the most important thing.
Is there anything else you’d like to go on the record?
I’ll be attending a lot more tattoo shows this year as the studio is in its infancy stage. It’s been a while since I’ve competed at the circuits around Australia and New Zealand, so we’ll be promoting the studio and hopefully getting some more awards under my belt!
The Divine Koru
9/13 MAIN WESTERN RD, TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN QLD 4272
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