Katy Hayward is a tattoo artist and illustrator based in the small coastal community of Tutukaka, Northland, where she lives with her husband Wade, their daughter Sophie and their beloved blind ginger cat, Curtis. Known for her delicate, nature-inspired artwork and fine detail, Katy has spent the past decade creating custom tattoos and illustrations inspired by the native wildlife, botanicals and coastlines of Aotearoa.

Her work is deeply connected to the place she calls home. Growing up in Tutukaka gave Katy a lifelong love for nature, and today that connection continues to shape both her art and her life outside the studio. Together, Katy and Wade have been restoring native habitat on their family property, planting thousands of native trees in the hope of helping bring more birdlife back to the land and encouraging others to care for the natural world around them too.

Alongside tattooing, Katy also creates artwork for prints, ceramics and illustrated products, allowing her drawings to find a home both on skin and in everyday life. Whether she is drawing a pīwakawaka tucked amongst foliage or designing a deeply personal tattoo for a client, her work is guided by a genuine love for storytelling, detail and connection.

What Katy values most about her career is the simple fact that she gets to spend her days creating. She still feels incredibly grateful that her work allows her to draw, meet people from all walks of life, and build something meaningful from the things she loves most — art, nature, family and home.