BACK in the day, having a tattoo carried a strong sense of stigma. Sporting a tattoo in public meant you were either a criminal or a deviant. But in today’s culture, a tattoo is celebrated as a work of art.
Whether it is purely decorative or symbolic, a tattoo is among the many popular ways one can creatively express themselves.
And it is not just regular folks who enjoy getting inked. Famous celebrities too have sported creative tattoo designs on their bodies. From Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine to K-pop star Jay Park, here are some of the coolest celebrity tattoo designs.
Adam Levine
Maroon 5’s frontman Adam Levine is big on expressing himself through body inks. Over the years, the singer has accumulated various interesting designs across his body. In fact, he often flaunts them publicly during concerts, photoshoots, and on social media.
While fans generally love all of his tattoos, one in particular sticks out the most. And that is none other than the mermaid tattoo on his back.
Levine began the large back mural in 2015 by first featuring a mermaid with angel wings holding a skull. He later added an intricate scene around the angle mermaid with crashing waves, a lost ship and swallows. According to his Instagram post, it took the tattoo artist Bryan Randolph six months to finish the piece.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson a.k.a The Rock is the epitome of fitness. Johnson, who previously worked as a WWE fighter, is known for his jacked arms and swole physique. So much so that it made him an action movie star. But like many celebrities, Johnson is also admired for his body tattoos.
The former fighter has two prominent tattoos that are located on both of his arms. The left tattoo is an intricate tribal design that spans the width of his left shoulder, to his forearm and chest. The drawing is meant to honour his Samoan roots and journey to overcome his struggles.
For instance, The Great Eye tattoo tunes into his aggressive warrior spirit. Whereas, the descending swirls on his left shoulder represent him connecting to his past, present and future. And the rest of the symbols pay tribute to his family.
As for the tattoo on his right arm, Johnson originally had a small bull tattoo drawn. But in 2017, the bull underwent a massive transformation – becoming bigger and more realistic. Johnson claimed the transformation was to capture his growth as a man.
Johnson called it “my core. Humbly, it’s also become a symbol of strength, resilience, heart, power and defiance to so many people around the world. I got this tattoo when I was just a kid. Now I need it to reflect me as a man.”
Jay Park
While there is no rule that bans K-idols from having tattoos, they are often discouraged from having them. Those with tattoos frequently cover them when they are live on TV. But Korean rapper Jay Park is not one to shy away from showing off his tattoos.
To date, the former 2PM leader has 35 ink designs dedicated to his family, friends, and his career. But one that stands out to me the most is the guardian angel ink behind his head. Unfortunately, he found it to be the most painful one he ever had.
He said: “None of them hurt so bad to the point that I couldn’t finish or anything... until the angel on the back of my head. It was kind of the first. It hurt a lot and it was honestly the most painful one I’d gotten. I almost regretted getting it started ... Once I got through that, everything else was too easy.”
The tattoo was done by South Korean tattoo artist Sanlee. It was to commemorate the divine blessings and protection Park has received throughout the years.
Angelina Jolie
Aside from being known as a talented actress and compassionate humanitarian, Angelina Jolie is also admired for her iconic body inks. Throughout the years, fans have fallen over heels for her 16 inks. One that stands out for me personally is the ink across her back – the Yant ViHan Pha Chad Sada.
The Yant ViHan Pha Chad Sada is an original Sak Yant (sacred Buddhist tattoo) created specifically for Jolie by Ajarn Noo Kanpai. Steel rods fitted with a surgical steel needle were used by the ex-monk to ink the tattoo on her back. The complex design consists of two yants.
It starts with the upper side which is a square box (there are 35 individual boxes) with magical text inside of it. Whereas, the second part, which is divided into two sections only has six individual boxes.
The meaning behind the tattoo?
The Sak Yant Talisman squares are said to represent the four continents and the four elements – earth, water, wind, and fire. And as you can see from the picture above, each box contains a specific text. But due to its order, many have difficulties trying to figure out its meaning.
Post Malone
Rapper Post Malone may arguably have the most relatable tattoo out there. In fact, his “always tired” face tattoo best describes how we millennials and Gen Zs feel. Located right below his eyes, the two-line phrase was to serve as a cheeky replacement for eye concealers.
When asked, Malone gave a hilarious response to why he went with the phrase. He explained that he wanted two words that were close in length.
Though “Always” has more letters than “Tired”, he still went with it because – obviously – he was exhausted at the time. “I was so tired so I didn’t realise.”
