About
The Studio
Your skin. Your story.
Rua Ngata
Founder & Lead Artist
The Artist
Meet Rua Ngata
Black Tide Ink opened in 2018 when Rua Ngata left a successful Auckland studio to set up something more personal in Hawke's Bay. The studio on Tennyson Street sits in a restored Art Deco building — all black walls, concrete floors, and good music. Rua and the team specialise in blackwork, neo-traditional, and tā moko-inspired contemporary pieces. Every tattoo starts with a conversation, not a catalogue.
Our Values
How We Work
Every piece is custom-designed
Hospital-grade sterilisation
Consultation before commitment
The Space
22 Tennyson Street
A restored Art Deco building in the heart of Napier. Black walls, concrete floors, good music, and the smell of clean equipment. We designed the studio to feel comfortable — not intimidating. Whether it's your first tattoo or your twentieth, you'll feel at home.
Come Visit