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Viliami Folau's talent for art became apparent from an early age, whilst studying visual arts at elementary and high school. Viliami ( also known as Will ), of Tongan heritage, uses art as a means of expression, specialising in realistic drawing and displaying mastery in freehand sketches. It was his cultural ties that inspired his first tattoo at age sixteen, the Tongan coat of arms on this right shoulder. This became the first of many, and it started in 1999. After finishing school at the age of 17 and going into the work force as a builder he realised his true passion was art, he was drawn to skills of the tattoo artist. Whilst adding to his own collection of tattoos, he decided that he too would use skin as his canvas. Kaos Ink, Bexley in Sydney’s South took Viliami on as an apprentice under the careful eye of head tattooist and owner, Shane, and fellow tattooist Ronnie. After about a year of taking the bookings, mopping the floor and brushing up on his sketching, he moved on to the real thing. It didn’t take long for him to master the art of tattooing and started to be recognised in the area as a tattooist of choice. Wanting to learn more about his heritage and in particular Tongan tattoos he researched and found the difference in tattoo style from one Polynesian country to another. With a big hype in tribal and Polynesian tattoos across the world, many Tongans in Sydney looked for a tattooist who specialised in this art and as well knew which pattern was in particular to which state so they can customised the design to their heritage and origins. 10 years on and Will is still working out of Kaos Ink, in Bexley. Specialising in:
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