Fern Ngatai is a visual and tā moko artist born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, West Auckland, on the whenua of Te Kawerau ā Maki.
She was drawn early to traditional carving and Māori design, not just for how it looked, but for how it spoke. Fern was fascinated by how motifs could hold story without words, inviting people to slow down and look closer. That way of seeing became the foundation of her mahi toi.
Fern Ngatai is a visual and tā moko artist born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, West Auckland, on the whenua of Te Kawerau ā Maki.
She was drawn early to traditional carving and Māori design, not just for how it looked, but for how it spoke. Fern was fascinated by how motifs could hold story without words, inviting people to slow down and look closer. That way of seeing became the foundation of her mahi toi.
Tā moko sits at the heart of her practice. Each design is drawn freehand, shaped by kōrero between Fern and the wearer. It is never copied or rushed. It grows from story, body, and connection.
That same care carries into her paintings. Fern works on harakeke paper, drawn to how the material holds history, memory, and grounding. She was first introduced to it as a koha from a client, a moment that helped shape her identity as Flows by Rau.
Fern grew up surrounded by flax, fibre, and making. The smell of harakeke still reminds her of childhood, of watching her mum work, and of learning how to respect and use the plant.
Confidence did not always come easily. A turning point came when she realised confidence is something you train, through self work, journalling, reflection, and choosing to support rather than compete. That mindset now shapes both her life and her art.
Tā moko: Traditional Māori tattooing that carries identity, ancestry, and personal story.
Whenua: Land, with a deeper meaning of origin and connection.
Te Kawerau ā Maki: An iwi of West Auckland whose ancestral lands include the Waitākere Ranges and surrounding areas.
Mahi toi: Creative practice; making with purpose, story, and connection.
Kōrero: Conversation, storytelling, shared dialogue.
Tā moko sits at the heart of her practice. Each design is drawn freehand, shaped by kōrero between Fern and the wearer. It is never copied or rushed. It grows from story, body, and connection.
That same care carries into her paintings. Fern works on harakeke paper, drawn to how the material holds history, memory, and grounding. She was first introduced to it as a koha from a client, a moment that helped shape her identity as Flows by Rau.
Fern grew up surrounded by flax, fibre, and making. The smell of harakeke still reminds her of childhood, of watching her mum work, and of learning how to respect and use the plant.
Confidence did not always come easily. A turning point came when she realised confidence is something you train, through self work, journalling, reflection, and choosing to support rather than compete. That mindset now shapes both her life and her art.
Tā moko: Traditional Māori tattooing that carries identity, ancestry, and personal story.
Whenua: Land, with a deeper meaning of origin and connection.
Te Kawerau ā Maki: An iwi of West Auckland whose ancestral lands include the Waitākere Ranges and surrounding areas.
Mahi toi: Creative practice; making with purpose, story, and connection.
Kōrero: Conversation, storytelling, shared dialogue.
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