The Artists Making a Permanent Mark on Hamilton

Hamilton is a diverse and multicultural city, diversity makes us who we are and is a crucial part of the unique place we have in the world.

There is plenty of rich culture and tradition that comes hand in hand with this diversity, including tattooing.

Traditionally, the Eurocentric view connected tattoos with criminals or low-class individuals. This stigma contrasts with traditional Māori and Pacifika culture and creates an interesting environment for individuals to form an opinion on body art.

Local Hamilton tattoo artist Courtney Harper says despite the existing stigmas, that Hamiltonians are very accepting of tattoos.

Having tattoos is more accepted in mainstream society than ever. Many people believe that New Zealand is one of the most tattooed countries in the world, with nearly one in five adults inked.

In a once male-dominated industry, women are now more likely to go under the needle than men.

Not only is there an increase in women getting ink, but over the past 20 years, there has been a shift in the number of women entering the profession.

The introduction of female artists breaks the stigma that tattoos are limited to men, and the female visibility draws in a broader range of clients – both young and old.

In a rapidly growing market, artists are often booked for months in advance in order to keep up.

Hamilton and the wider Waikato region is filled to the brim with talented artists that all specialise in different styles and techniques. They often have regular clients who consistently return and have others who travel from all over the country and wait a long time to have a piece of their work.

Often, artists gain their following through social media, and there has been an explosion of tattooing online. Social media has a huge impact on the way artists work and allows their content to be reached by anyone.

Many young people have much more positive opinions on tattoos than past generations, and for many, the online exposure of tattooing is a contributing factor.

The online tattooing community connects artists to both future clients and fellow artists. For many people this accessibility is crucial to forming great relationships with others as staying connected is so easy.

While many would agree that as a nation we are on the cusp of acceptance, it does not mean that New Zealand is entirely welcoming of tattoos. Thankfully, there is a community of forward-thinking artists who are working to break through the everpresent stigmas and bias that exists in our community.

The Little Friend Behind the Needle

Often, Hamilton is unfairly judged by the rest of the nation and the jokes and snide comments gloss over our city full of hidden gems.

Two such gems are owned by local tattoo artist and store owner Courtney Harper, who says she “couldn’t imagine living anywhere else” as the born-and-bred Hamiltonian is tied here by her “two babies” – boutique store Harper Inc and Little Friend Tattoo.

Courtney is very easy to like, she is the ultimate ‘cool girl’ with the most genuine friendly personality and sense of humour. Meeting with Courtney leaves you feeling upbeat and smiley and her welcoming and enthusiastic nature is clearly translated in her work.

Harper Inc is Courtney’s ‘first baby’ that she formed with her mother, Sandy Harper, after being in retail for years. Courtney says the sense of community that she has through opening the store four years ago is what keeps her going in the industry.

The store is for all women and all sizes. Courtney says that they only stock clothes that they “are obsessed with” in hopes that their customers will love them just as much.

Little Friend Tattoo studio is Courtney’s newest project that she shares with another local artist, Kristin Pie. Both Courtney and Kristin focus on detailed, intricate and delicate pieces.

Courtney specialises in hand-poked tattooing and creates clean and fresh fine line pieces for all of her clients. She began honing her craft on herself and friends but as her talent developed and grew, so did her online following.

“The goal of Little Friend Tattoo was to create an inclusive space for everyone to enjoy and feel welcome.”

The studio acts as a safe space for anyone who wants to get some ink and is everything that a generic and stereotypical tattoo parlour is not. It is an open and inviting space that is intimate, light, and clean, immediately putting the client at ease.

Little Friend Tattoo is a fresh take on something that once held a strong stigma and this freshness is truly Courtney and Kristin’s point of difference.

Through tattooing, Courtney says she has made many connections with clients and other local artists. She has met a diverse range of people both young and old and she loves the “deep and meaningful” that comes with her work.

The sense of community she has and the relationships she has made with regular clients is what has cemented her as an integral part of the tattoo community and with Hamilton locals.

The passion Courtney has for what she does is evident and her genuine interest and care for her clients is clear. Sitting down and being tattooed by Courtney is a guaranteed lovely time that flies by, and you truly feel like you have sat down for a chat with an old friend.