RIHANNA HAD ROOM FOR A GODDESS

Rihanna could probably get a tattoo of a potato and have half the internet discussing its spiritual significance before lunch. Such is the privilege of being famous. But back in September 2012, she unveiled a tattoo across her chest depicting Isis, the ancient Egyptian goddess, complete with outstretched wings spanning the area beneath her breasts. The entertainment press had plenty to say about the location, but the reason she got it was a lot more interesting than the amount of skin required to accommodate it.

Her grandmother had died earlier that year. Rihanna called her Gran Gran Dolly, and when she revealed the tattoo, she described Isis as a complete woman and a model for future generations, dedicating the artwork to her grandmother and saying she’d remain in and on her heart. No elaborate celebrity mystery to solve, or secret message requiring a team of internet detectives. She loved her grandmother and wanted to remember her in a personal way.

Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion, associated with motherhood, protection, and magic. The symbolism helps explain the choice, but the actual tattoo is interesting from an artistic standpoint too. The extended wings create an enormous horizontal composition, and placing something that elaborate across the chest requires planning. The artist has to account for the body’s contours, and how the wings follow the anatomy, including how the design looks when the person moves.

Strip away the music awards, designer clothing, celebrity attention, and we’re looking at a memorial tattoo. You don’t need Rihanna’s bank account or a collection of platinum records to understand wanting to honor a grandparent. People walk into tattoo studios every day carrying photographs, and little pieces of family history that mean more to them than the rest of us could possibly know.

Celebrity tattoos can attract attention to a particular design or placement, but copying Rihanna’s Isis tattoo isn’t the only way to appreciate it. A memorial piece ought to have room for the person you’re remembering, not be dictated by what happens to look fashionable on a famous singer.

If you’re considering an Egyptian-inspired tattoo, chest piece, or memorial design, Inker gives you a place to discover tattoo artists and examine their work. Finding an artist who can handle a complex composition is important. Finding one willing to listen to the story behind it deserves attention too.

Rihanna introduced millions of people to the image of a goddess stretching her wings across a woman’s chest. But the person she wanted to keep close was Grandma Dolly.

J Gekko
Staff Writer, Inker