19/08/2026
Part II of our kaitiaki series.
Dre first met Roger through Tommy Downs. He was already familiar with Tommy’s reputation within the tattoo community, having known of him as the former owner of Lower Hutt Tattoo Studio on High Street.
Dre also felt a connection through their shared roots, in Naenae, where Tommy had grown up a generation before him.
By the time Dre entered the tattoo industry, Roger was widely regarded as the grandfather of New Zealand tattooing and an exemplar of the standards, professionalism, and character that Dre sought to embody in his own career.
As Dre became a regular visitor to the shop, he developed a close friendship with Tommy, who eventually introduced him to Roger and his wife, Meg. Although Roger had retired, he remained a frequent presence at the shop and would often spend time there with Tommy.
Through these regular visits, Dre came to know Roger and Meg personally, laying the foundation for a relationship built on mutual respect and trust.
On one occasion, Tommy invited Dre to the shop, explaining that Roger would be tattooing him behind closed doors and that he wanted Dre to be present for what would be a special moment, as Roger had not tattooed since retiring. When Dre arrived, Roger asked Tommy what he planned to have tattooed. Tommy responded, “I haven’t got any space, but Dre does,” revealing that he had orchestrated the moment as a surprise. Roger then tattooed a Manaia design on Dre. The experience was a significant and deeply personal gesture of trust and friendship. To Dre’s understanding, this was the last tattoo Roger ever completed in the shop following his retirement.
Dre was present at the shop for many of the important moments following Roger’s retirement and remained connected to it through the years leading up to Roger’s passing in 2015.
Tommy knew that Dre genuinely cared for the shop, understood its place in tattooing history, and appreciated its potential role in shaping the future of the craft.
When the time eventually came for Tommy to pass the baton, that history of trust and personal relationships meant Dre was the obvious choice.
