21 Arthurs Tattoo

David Chaston

David Chaston has been tattooing for two decades. In that time he has helped establish and worked in some of Cape Town's most loved and trusted tattoo shops, while extensive stints tattooing across the US, Europe and Southeast Asia have shaped his approach and broadened his craft. David's range runs from large-scale work to small, detailed pieces, from traditional and pattern work through to portraits. Away from the machine, he is constantly painting and drawing, a daily practice that feeds directly back into his tattooing and keeps his work versatile and evolving.

Richard Moir

Richard Moir, known as Ninjabreadboy, is a handpoked tattooer, artist and illustrator based in Cape Town. Tattooing professionally since 2015, he works across a range of styles with a focus on nature-based imagery. The natural world and its landscapes are a constant thread through his work, and the handpoked technique lets him build the tones and textures that bring them to life. He holds a degree in Applied Design with a specialisation in illustration, and beyond tattooing, he collaborates with clients on a variety of art and design projects.

Tayla Vann

Tayla has been working in tattoo shops since 2019 and joined 21 Arthurs in 2021, where she has been apprenticing under David Chaston since 2022. She enjoys working across a range of styles, with a real love for bold, traditional tattoos, and spends much of her time outside the shop drawing and painting flash. Tayla is always keen to tattoo just about anything.

Alessandro Burzacchi

Alessandro has been tattooing since 2019 and draws a lot of inspiration from skate culture, punk rock and traditional tattooing. His work is built around bold designs, heavy black shading, and tattoos that hold up for years to come. When he’s not tattooing, he’s usually screen printing, drawing, or working on something creative. Friendly, passionate, and happiest with a machine in hand, Alessandro loves making strong, timeless tattoos that look just as good healed as they do fresh.

Matthew Oldfield

Matt has been tattooing for over 12 years, learning the trade in an old-school street shop where being able to tackle just about anything was part of the job. That background means he’s comfortable working across a wide range of styles, though he’s particularly drawn to fine line black and grey work and traditional tattooing filtered through a love of medieval imagery.

For Matt, a good tattoo appointment is about more than the tattoo itself. He enjoys getting to know his clients, making sure they feel at ease, and creating an experience that’s as solid as the work leaving the studio. When he’s not tattooing, you’ll probably find him in the mountains with his dog, on a wildfire crew, or listening to cold wave and goth records.