Your Cyber Sigilism Tattoo Guide (50+ Examples!)

Cyber sigilism tattoo trend has started mere years back, with no signs of slowing down.

The social media has exacerbated the popularity of this style full of abstract thin lines, sharp angles, and usually black ink.

These tattoos have a postmodern, dark, almost cyberpunk look and feel.

Want to learn more about how they came about? Read below and find more than 50 cyber sigilism tattoo examples!

Cyber sigilism tattoo style is rather recent, probably starting in the second decade of the 21st century.

It is the current trendy tattoo style, emerging as a modern take on tribal tattoos in the wake of the resurgence of the 1990s and Y2K trends.

If we wanted to trace it back to an artist, we can point to @aingelblood, who refers himself as the trans ritual artist and has an extensive cyber sigilism tattoo portfolio, dating back years ago.

Cyber sigilism refers to a tattoo style that has a strong emphasis on the futuristic, dark and mechanical yet organic shapes.

Cyber refers to the ‘digital age’ we live in, and sigilism refers to the symbols used in magic, further adding to the ritualistic symbolism these tattoo designs hold.

The avant-garde patterns are futuristic and mystical, and give off a very distinct dark aesthetic.

The meaning of every cyber sigilism tattoo is personal and unique to the wearer, and it doesn’t necessarily have connection to a strict historical meaning of the shapes used.

When including elements of nature, art references, special objects, and characters from anime or videos games, the cyber sigilism elements are added for stylistic purposes.

Are Cyber Sigilism Tattoos The Same As Tribal Tattoos?

Tribal tattoos have a long history, sometimes dating back hundreds of years, or longer (in the case of the Celtic tattoos).

The shapes and elements used in them refer strongly to natural elements such as animals, trees and religious insignia, which is definitely not the case with cyber sigilism.

That said, cyber sigilism tattoos aren’t tribal tattoos in the traditional meaning of the concept.

Even though they consist of some tribal-inspired and geometric elements (like spikes, sharp lines and heavy shading), there was not a specific culture this style has emerged from.

Cyber sigilism tattoos should be understood as a modern interpretation of the ancient tribal body modification traditions, mirroring it against the modern day digital technology.

Placement is an important factor when it comes to cyber sigilism tattoos.

As they consist of thing lines, spikes and sharp angles, choosing a unique placement that plays with the way the body bends and folds can add a lot to the aesthetic effect of the tattoo.

Cyber sigilism tattoos on the back shoulder, chest, knee, elbow or side body (like ribs) follow the natural curves of the body to create fascinating designs.

Larger canvases such as a cyber sigilism back tattoo give more room to explore the importance of negative space in this neo tribal tattoo style.

The way a tattoo heals depends on multiple factors.

When it comes to cyber sigilism tattoos looking good one year after getting them tattooed, the key is to find a good cyber sigilism tattoo artist to both plan out the design as well as tattoo it expertly.

The fineline and light shading details need to be executed properly so as not to fade in the years to come.

On another note, the thick, heavy dark shaded cyber sigilism tattoos need a so called light hand of the artist that would not go too deep, thus causing unnecessary bruising.

Lastly, all the care you put into your tattoo will pay itself off significantly in the years to come. Putting regular sunscreen, wearing UV protecting clothes as well as avoiding sun exposure when the UV index is high will do wonders for your tattoo, regardless of style.