Gaede, RolfRavjee, LathaVan As, Rory2020-09-182020-09-182018-11http://hdl.handle.net/10321/3486Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Applied Arts in Graphic Design, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2018.This  study  focuses  on  the  graphic  imagery  of  tattoo  artists  in  KwaZulu-­‐Natal  with  special  reference to the Ramesar brothers. Various visual communication practices and theories are drawn upon to explain the imagery created by them. The literature review chapters of this study cover a brief history of primarily Western tattooing practices, as well as a discussion of the meaning of tattoos from a visual semiotics perspective. The fieldwork component of the study  involved  conducting  and  analysing  a  series  of  qualitative  in-­‐depth  interviews  with  interviewees who were either tattooed by, or are family members of, the Ramesar brothers. The purpose of the interviews was to explore the personal experiences and motivations that contributed  to  the  work  of  these  tattoo  artists.  The  study  contributes  to  visual  studies  in  South Africa in the sense that the empirical data confirm the pioneer status of the Ramesar brothers as graphic artists.197 penGraphic artists--South AfricaTattoo artists--South AfricaBody art--South AfricaTattooing--South AfricaThesishttps://doi.org/10.51415/10321/3486