Laura Naylor is a co-owner and lead tattoo artist at Monarch Tattoo Hawaii in Hauula on Oahu’s North Shore. With 20 years of professional tattooing experience, Laura brings a strong foundation in fine art to her craft, holding a BFA from SUNY Purchase College and an MFA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She began her tattooing journey in 2006, apprenticing under Suluʻape Riccy Boy, which instilled a deep respect for traditional and contemporary Polynesian tattooing. Laura specializes in large-scale Polynesian and floral tattoos, expertly designing pieces that flow naturally with the body’s anatomy. She is particularly known for her custom cover-up tattoos and surgical scar cover-ups, finding profound satisfaction in their transformative and healing potential. Every tattoo Laura creates is fully custom, often drawn freehand directly on the body to ensure a unique, perfect fit and lasting quality. Her work has been featured in Tricia Allen’s book The Polynesian Tattoo Today.
