TATTOOS
Gaga got her first tattoo, the treble clef in the center of her lower back, at only 17 years old to represent her love for music. However, she later regretted the location of the treble clef tattoo, so had it turned into a side piece. She said “this entire side piece I have is a compensation for that one tattoo.” The artist of this piece was Kat Von D and the tattooing was shown on her show, LA Ink in 2008.
During a trip to Tokyo in 2009, Gaga got her "Tokyo Love" tattoo in honour of working with photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, whose handwriting was used for the tattoo. When asked about the tattoo in an interview, she said:
it "was to celebrate the Haus’ collaboration with legendary Japanese photographer Araki. Araki photographed me, using a series of several cameras. He did not photograph my image; he photographed my soul. I was honored to be the first American woman he’s photographed, and only the second pop artist, in the company of Björk. He signed the Polaroids “Tokyo Love,” and the Haus got tattoos of his marking in celebration." The 3 daisies could stand for her family - her mum, dad and sister. Her shoulder now has a tattooed heart with "dad" written on a banner in the middle to comemorate her father's survival from his heart condition.
Treble Clef & Roses
Tokyo Love, Dad & Daisies
Quote, Little Monsters & Peace Sign
Also in 2009, Gaga an extract from a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke and it symbolises the need of Gaga to write more and more music. The German poem translates in English to:
“Confess to yourself in the deepest hour of the night whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. Dig deep into your heart, where the answer spreads its roots in your being, and ask yourself solemnly, Must I write?” She added the nickname of her fans (Little Monsters) to this a year later.
The peace sign on her wrist is her connection to her idol John Lennon, and a reminder to always remember the important things in life.
In September 2010, Gaga got her ninth tattoo: A unicorn with a banner that says ‘Born This Way,' the title of her third album lead single. Her song Born This Way is about being unique and loving who you are. It addresses in particular to the gay community, as Gaga is a vocal advocate for gay rights. The unicorn is a symbol of rarity and uniqueness, and a visual symbol for her obsession with the mythical creature..
Born This Way Unicorn
ARTPOP & Anchor
In August 2012 on the same day that Gaga announced the new title of her album, she got her "ARTPOP" tattoo on her arm. The album wasn't actually released until the 6th of November in 2013. Gaga claims the tattoo is also an expression of her life and career; “I live between two things–I live between art and pop all the time,” she says.
On September 1st 2012, Gaga got an anchor on her left ribcage, above the roses. She said it was the mark of "His Mermaid." It is symbolic of her relationship with Taylor Kinney. They met during the “You & I” music video shoot, where Lady Gaga was transformed into a mermaid.
Cherub & Rio
In September of 2012, Gaga got a cherub head (which was taken from F. S. Meyer, Handbook of Ornament) tattoo on the back of her head, live at a launch for her perfume ‘Fame’ at theGuggenheim Museum in New York City. She got the tattoo in honor of her friend Terry Richardson‘s late mother. See the clip below to see Gaga getting tattooed, live at the Fame launch.
On November 10th 2012 in Rio De Janeiro, Lady Gaga got “R†O” tattooed behind her left ear. This tattoo is for her fans, and the font is three different fans’ signatures. Tweeting about her tattoo, she said it represnts how music brings poeple together.
Mouse
In August 2013, Gaga got a mouse tattoo that stands for her sister Natali, who’s nickname is Mouse. The needle and thread represents her sister’s love for fashion design which she studies at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. The end of the thread also spells ‘Nat’, short for Natali. The siblings are very close, and when asked about the tattoo, Gaga said her sister "inspired" her.
Trumpet
After working on her Jazz album 'Cheek To Cheek' Gaga got Tony Bennett to draw a trumpet. She loved it so much that she then got it tattooed to mark the collaboration. She discusses this time in the video below:
Monster Paw
In October 2014, Gaga got her own hand tattooed on her back in the "paws up" position, paying homage to her fans. It took place in Hamburg, Germany by tattoo artist Eric Gonzales whom Gaga had flown in from the US. She said it is her favourite tattoo; “it’s [...] the symbol of my fans as they have held their paws high in the crowd every night since we became a community. I cherish it for its meaning, the loyalty, devotion and strength we share. I
wanted it engraved on me forever.”
Mother Monster
As if her devotion to her fans wasn't evident enough, a month after the paw, Gaga got "Mother Monster" and some floral swirls tattooed under her arm (ouch!) This one marks the fifth anniversary of the release of her album The Fame Monster, and she captioned a video posted on Facebook, alongside the pictures of her getting the tattoo, with 'Happy Birthday The Fame Monster'.
David Bowie
Earlier this year, February 13th, Gaga kept her fans up to date with the progess of her new tattoo via Snapchat. Her David Bowie tattoo was in tribute to the musician who died in January. Mark Mahoney at Shamrock Social Club
was the artist, and the piece is of the Aladdin Sane album cover.
Unity
Her latest tattoo is very personal in meaning and a connection to rape survivors. The tattoo was designed by a fellow survivor who joined Gaga onstage at the Oscars during her perfomance of 'Til It Happens To You,' Jackie Lin. “The flame is meant to be very powerful — not something sad,” Lin explained. “It’s not something that makes us depressed, it’s just something we can look at and remind us that there are other people going through this together, and we are fighting together.”
