A Guide To Rihanna's 25 Tattoos With Meaning
Pooja Angurasu
Updated At 08 Jul 24
Robyn Rihanna Fenty, better known as Rihanna, is a prominent figure in the music industry and other fields. She is a Barbadian singer, actor, and businesswoman. Having sold over 250 million records globally, Rihanna is among the best-selling musicians of all time. Among the many honors she has received, she has received nine Grammy Awards. Forbes declared her the richest female artist of 2019. Her distinctive tattoo collections serve as a vehicle for her self-expression and personal symbolism, capturing many facets of her identity, convictions, and life and professional experiences. Let's examine 25 tattoos by Rihanna and their corresponding meanings.
25 Rihanna's Tattoos With Meaning
1. Rihanna's Personal Philosophy
"Never a failure, always a lesson" is a saying that stands for perseverance, development, and experience-based learning. Instead of viewing each challenge as a failure, Rihanna sees it as a chance to grow and learn. It represents a positive and tenacious way of thinking.
2. Path of Stars
At the nape of her neck, Rihanna has an amazing tattoo that is a path of stars that stand for important turning points, goals, or mentorship in both her personal and professional lives.
3. Friendship Goals
In June 2008, Rihanna received a roman numeral tattoo on her body, coinciding with Melissa Forde's birthday, her manager, and her dearest friend. Melissa inked Rihanna's birthday in return.
4. A Tribute to God
Rihanna has a little cross tattooed on her collarbone, signifying her devotion to God. This tattoo reflects Rihanna's deep spiritual side and her unwavering faith in God. It could additionally have personal meaning for her identity and journey.
5. Pistol Tattoo
The artist Bang Bang inked a gun tattoo on Rihanna's rib cage in 2013. This tattoo of Rihanna is a representation of her power and strength.
6. Tibetan Tattoo
The Tibetan tattoo on Rihanna's lower back represents what the word "lover" means to the person she loves and to everyone who has ever loved her.
7. Rihanna's Ear Tattoo
In the end, Rihanna and her closest friend decided to get matching tattoos in New York. A star is a symbol of strong energy. "My best friend from Barbados was here, so we had to do something crazy," stated Rihanna,"She got one too."
8. Rihanna's Finger Tattoo
The word "shhh..." is tattooed on Rihanna's right index finger, serving as a warning to the public and media to cease circulating falsities about her personal life.
9. Rihanna's Neck Tattoo
She has a French term around her neck that means "rebel flower," which symbolizes both her love of flowers and her rebellious and independent nature.
10. The Sanskrit Prayer
On Rihanna's right hip, the artist tattooed a Sanskrit prayer in a vertical fashion. The prayer was mistranslated as "long-suffering, truthfulness, self-restraint, inward calm, fear, and fearlessness," but it was really meant to signify "forgiveness, honesty, supression, and control."
11. The Arabic Quote
The Arabic phrase "Al Hurria fi Al Maseeh," which translates to "Freedom in God," is inked on Rihanna's left ribcage. Her strong trust in God is evident from this tattoo.
12. The Astrological Sign
A popular Brazilian tattoo artist in Tokyo provided Rihanna with her astrological sign tattoo in 2006. Her astrological sign is Pisces, so she got that inscribed behind her ear.
13. The Egyptian Queen
In 2013, Rihanna had a famous symbol of feminine beauty, Nefertiti, tattooed on her ribcage. Rihanna's fascination with ancient Egyptian art and culture is evident in her tattoo, which features an exquisite representation of Nefertiti's renowned bust.
14. A Tribute to Grandma
The Egyptian goddess Isis, who was revered as the perfect wife and mother, had her wingspan adorned under Rihanna's breasts in 2013 in the Soho neighborhood of London. She got this tattoo as a tribute to her late, cherished grandma, Dolly.
15. The Huge Cross Tattoo
At the New York Studio, Rihanna received a huge cross tattoo on her wrist. Her Christian devotion and spirituality are thought to be symbolized by her huge cross tattoo. In a number of interviews, Rihanna has discussed her spiritual convictions; the cross tattoo is an outward manifestation of her faith and her personal ties to Christianity.
16. The Shark Tattoo
Inspired by a shark named Drizzy, Rihanna and her ex-boyfriend Drake went to an aquarium in Toronto on a date night in September 2016 and got a shark tattoo. Drake also received a similar tattoo on his arm, while Rihanna had the one at her ankle executed.
17. The Falcon
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has a 2300-year-old Faience falcon on exhibit, which served as inspiration for Rihanna. Her first tattoo, a set of music notes, was covered up by this one, which she received from artist Bang Bang. The falcon is a symbol of strength, power, vision, and independence.
18. 1988
In an effort to commemorate her birth year, Rihanna had the year "1988" tattooed in a Gothic fashion with the assistance of Bang Bang.
19. Henna Style Inking
Rihanna went to her go-to tattoo artist, Bang Bang, to cover over her traditional Maori tattoo since she wasn't thrilled with it. She got an amazing henna-style tattoo on her hand instead.
20. The Crown
After breaking up with her lover Drake in 2021, Rihanna's admirers found that the shark tattoo had been covered up with a crown tattoo. Her authority and power are symbolized by this tattoo of a crown.
21. Dragon Claw
After receiving a tribal dragon claw tattoo, Rihanna experienced the Maori people of New Zealand's traditional method of chiselling for the first time. The symbols "aroha" and "mana," which represent "love" and "strength," correspond to her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown's tattoo on the same hand.
22. Music Notes
Rihanna received her first tattoo of two musical notes, a treble clef and a sixteenth note, in 2006. Her love of music and her enthusiasm for her work as a musician are apparent in her tattoo.
23. Skull with Pink Bow
In 2008, Rihanna had this interesting tattoo in Miami. The skull and crossbones stand for rebellion and death. The pink bow is symbolic of purity, femininity, and beauty. Her two personalities are generally reflected in her tattoo.
24. Love
In order to demonstrate her faith and trust in love, Rihanna got the word "love" tattooed in a cursive style on her middle finger.
25. Thug Life
Artist Mark Mahoney inked Rihanna's "Thug Life" tattoo in semi-permanent white ink on her knuckles. The iconic rapper Tupac Shakur is honored in this tattoo, yet the ink faded with time.
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