Matt Jordan Shop

There was never a question in Matt’s mind as to what he would be when he grew up. Watching his father tattoo and spending time in his studio solidified the decision that he too, was going to be a tattoo artist.

Matt worked towards this goal for most of his early life, the kid in class that was constantly drawing, and at 18 was given a tattoo set up from a family friend. He worked hard and was able to secure an apprenticeship at a respectable local studio where he stayed for a couple of years before moving his way up the country and aquiring a young family along the way. Since then, Matt has won countless awards and recognition for his realistic tattooing style and has been fortunate enough to travel internationally to showcase his art and work alongside some amazing international artists.

In 2013, Matt opened his own studio, Ship Shape Tattoo, in Auckland, which has since grown to a busy 10 artist studio and become the infamous hub of realistic tattooing in New Zealand. Seeing Ship Shape successfully running along thanks to business partners and fellow artists, Ben Kaye and Jason Baker, Matt felt confident at the end of 2019 that he could take a step back and work on another idea close to his heart, Studio Takitimu. Named as an homage to his ancestory, Studio Takitimu is New Zealand’s only all inclusive tattoo experience. Now he splits his time between Ship Shape Tattoo in Auckland and Studio Takitimu in the Bay of Islands.

When not tattooing, Matt spends time with his family and friends, cooking, fishing, walking his dogs and working on classic cars with his son.