Honeycomb Tattoo: Meaning

The honeycomb tattoo craze has taken off in a big way throughout the last few years, with more and more tightly linked hexagonal shapes appearing on the skin of tattoo recipients. But what does the honeycomb tattoo mean? And are people getting it for a specific reason? Here, we investigate the deep meanings behind the growth and popularity of the honeycomb tattoo

Introduction

Tattoos have always been popular, but certain trends tend to come and go. One of the biggest trends of late is the honeycomb tattoo style.

In this article, we’ll take a look at what the honeycomb tattoo looks like, what it means, and why more people than ever are getting it.

First up, what do honeycomb tattoos look like?

One of the most obvious explanations for the popularity of the honeycomb tattoo is that the design is relatively straightforward while also offering a lot of room for good tattoo artists to play around with styles and add their own artistic touches.

Typically, a honeycomb tattoo will feature several hexagonal shapes inked across a portion of the body – presented exactly like how honeycomb cells look.

The level of shading, coloring, and additional elements involved – such as flowers, bees, or honey drips – is up to the tattoo artist and the person getting the body art.

It is quite common that the tattoo will either be rendered with the golden colors of honey, or else in monochrome black and/or white colors.

The tattoo can be found on many different parts of the body, ranging from the arms and legs, to the shoulders, to the midriff, and even on a person’s neck or scalp.

Why has the honeycomb tattoo become popular?

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why the honeycomb tattoo has become immensely popular in the last few years:

Social media

If people like the tattoos they see on sites like Instagram and TikTok, chances are that they’ll be more receptive to getting these tattoos inked onto their skin. Instagram, in particular, is alive with inventive posts showcasing honeycomb tattoos.

Tattoo artists prepared to play around with the design

The simple, geometric shape of honeycomb cells means they offer plenty of possibilities for a tattoo artist and their client.

The client might discuss getting something very small and minimal – or something very brash, elaborate, and ornate.

Versatile in terms of where it can be placed on the body

A honeycomb tattoo wouldn’t look out of place on your thigh, your upper arm, your shoulder, or your chest.

This type of versatility can partly explain why the tattooing style has become so popular.

What does the honeycomb tattoo mean, and why do people get it?

Ok, so we’ve established that honeycomb tattoos are popular and that they offer a lot of possibilities for both the tattooist and their client.

But what does the honeycomb tattoo actually mean?

Here are a few different meanings behind the tattooing style:

It can symbolize hard work

One thing almost everyone knows about honeybees is that they are tireless workers – grafting hour after hour, in an endless effort to create their elaborate honeycomb structures.

For many people, they symbolize the ideal of what it means to be hard-working.

It can symbolize fulfillment and nourishment

Let’s face it: Honey is nothing less than a sweet, tasty substance – praised and loved because it comes straight from our natural environment and provides us with many of the nutrients and flavors that make our daily existence enjoyable.

For a lot of people who bear a honeycomb tattoo, this is why they get it inked on their skin – they want to pay tribute to the fulfillment that honey represents in their life.

It can represent environmental issues and the interconnectedness of our ecosystems

In the last few years, as more and more people have tried to understand environmental issues, many have had a renewed fascination with the ecological role of bees.

Bees play a vital role in pollinating our plants, flora, and other vegetation around us, meaning they carry a heavy burden when it comes to sustaining our natural ecosystems.

It can be meaningful simply for its aesthetic look

For some people, the meaning behind the honeycomb tattoo ain’t all that deep – they just like how the strong hexagonal shapes are depicted on their skin.

Indeed, the fact that the hexagons come together to make their own larger structure offers a meaning in its own right; it suggests people who value unity and connectedness.

It can sometimes symbolize procreation or fertility

For some, honeycomb tattoos represent procreation and fertility, since honey is a substance created by bees. (However, the literal definition of ‘procreation’ means ‘to reproduce a living being,’ meaning that the symbolism doesn’t fully stack up.)

Still, honeycomb tattoos can symbolize a person’s relationship with their own fertility and their desire to procreate.

In Popular Culture

Honeycomb tattoos are gaining in popularity, with many tattoo aficionados now proudly wearing them.

At the time of writing, not many celebrities have inked themselves with honeycomb tattoos (well, none have revealed them to the public anyway…).

This might be due to the nature of the honeycomb tattoo itself; it is typically an ostentatious tattoo, requiring plenty of space on the body (in contrast to, say, a small tattoo of a bird or a line of Indian Sanskrit).

This means that the recipient really has to commit to the look before they get it inked on their body.

One notable public figure who has gotten a honeycomb tattoo is the model and tattooist Bee Phillps.

Honeycomb tattoos beautifully adorn Bee Phillips’ shoulders, upper chest, and neck.

Many body art fans have cited Ms Phillips as someone who shows how the honeycomb look can be pulled off by an individual.

Takeaway: Sweet As Honey? Tattoo Fans Seem to Think So

The honeycomb tattoo fascination has just gotten started and it shows no signs of slowing down.

With the beautiful yet simple geometric shapes, the possibilities offered to tattoo artists, and the multiple different honeycomb tattoo meanings, it’s no wonder these tattoos are becoming as abundant as, well…honey itself.

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