Are they not tribal? Is the trend from the 90s back? Not at all! Maori tattoos are not so unlike the tribal patterns, but they have an incredible amount of history and are firmly anchored in the New Zealand Maori culture. Meanwhile, the Maori drawings are a tattoo trend worldwide. The origins of the tattoo […]
Design & Meaning
Cherry blossom tattoos are common among Eastern cultures such as the Japanese and Chinese. However, these tattoos are becoming increasingly popular in Western countries. They are known for the beauty that results from picking up a cherry tree. They are mainly worm because of their symbolic representation, but some people wear it only because of […]
The popularity of the dainty lotus flower design in tattoo art has reached an all time high, mostly riding the coat tails of yoga enthusiasts. But the symbolism of this beautiful blossom has a long and deep history rooted in many cultures and carrying a deeply spiritual meaning till this day. The Lotus flower does […]
In Thailand, monks tattoo holy tattoo motifs to protect the wearer. The Sak Yant tattoo experienced a Western renaissance when Angelina Jolie had tattooed her back by a Thai monk. Here you will learn the tradition behind the Sak Yant tattoo, how you get it and what the risks could be. The meaning of the […]
What does a Buddha tattoo mean? Buddhism is one of the most tolerant world religions. But what is the meaning of Buddha, which makes him such a popular tattoo motif, which is particularly like combined with Buddhist and Hindu tattoos such as Om and Sak Yant tattoo? # Inner balance & pronounced spirit to awaken […]
Tattoos have never been cemented as an artform with a single purpose: they have existed throughout history as a therapeutic tool, a charm for luck or protection, an identifier, a stigma, and a symbol. Tattoos hold whatever meaning is attributed to them, and there’s a long list of meanings attributed to tattoos. But when we […]
Prison tattoos tell many tales, some of them tall, plenty of them true, and a lot of them more than just potentially misleading. They’re rather dangerous images, particularly in this day and age when they’re widely known and far more likely to cause trouble. Yet that intrinsically dangerous nature also makes them incredibly alluring, because […]
In the US alone, statistics counted an estimated 45 million tattooed adults in 2012, a number that has doubtlessly grown over the years. There’s no question about the fact that tattooing is experiencing a renaissance era, both in the West and globally, thanks to modern media and the Internet. Yet despite the proliferation of the […]
The common Japanese motif of the “Fudō Myōō” (lit. the immovable wisdom king, an on’yomi of the Chinese name) is a truly fearsome one, depicting a blue-skinned wrathful pot-bellied man, sitting in a lotus position, nearly always armed with a fiery double-edged sword and a lariat. This figure is one of a Buddhist deity prominent […]
The red-crowned crane is a bird of great importance in East Asian cultures as a symbol of longevity and loyalty. At first glance, cranes might not appear quite as impressive as multi-colored koi, fierce dragons, mysterious snakes, or illustrious phoenixes, but remain an important fixture in Japanese tattoo motifs – and while they might appear […]