The Roots and Aesthetics of Cybersigilism Tattoos

With sharp, s-shaped fine lines, and intricate patterns, cybersigilism tattoos are a striking blend of technological (cyber) influence and mystical (sigil) aesthetics. The designs that characterize cybersigilism appear organic, but often combine subtle figurative elements. Butterflies, daggers, devine female forms, finials and more may be hidden within the patterns. Like ornamental tattoos, cybersigilism adds movement to and follows the natural shapes of the body. As a genre, cybersigilism owes to a variety of other tattoo styles as well: etching, fine line, 3D realism, and tribal. Artists like Awa and Sadan in Seoul, DanyKim and Umbra in France, Chainsmaiden in Buenos Aires speak to the global impact and popularity of cybersigilism.

The Co:Create Method

Every tattoo style has a range of expressions. At Co:Create, we acknowledged that range, and are focused on three core considerations for describing the tattoo you want: aesthetic, iconography, and technique.

Aesthetic refers to how the tattoo looks. Line weight, color, saturation, movement with the body all contribute to look.

Iconography examines the meaning attached to the tattoo. We describe the cultural, historical, and spiritual connections chosen imagery carries and communicates.

Technique specifies the methods used to. For example, different techniques of shading (whip, dot, drag, etc.) create different levels of depth and dimension. Color layering, color packing, or distinct forms of linework, all contribute to refining the final form of your tattoo.

Discussing these three elements with your artist helps assure you get your dream tattoo.

Cybersigilism Iconographic Sources 

Cybersigilism tattoos meld organic, natural references like lightning bolts, with mystical decorative and figurative elements. An interesting duality draws from the definition of sigil, which can describe a pictorial symbol of magic and a prefix attached to a computer code. Define characters, often female, carry a computer-driven look and feel from highly detailed animations. Butterflies and amulets, components with a clearer connection to "ancient" themes are prevalent. In addition to the figurative, shapes that connect to Neo-tribal and blackwork traditions, those patterns stripped of symbolism by pioneering Western artists like Xed Lehead and Leo Zulueta, and made popular in the Y2K era, create a basis for many cybersigilism tattoos.

Cybersigilism Tattoo Aesthetics 

The futuristic and the ancient clash to form the aesthetic of cybersigilism. Tribal, blackwork, fineline and ornamental tattooing clearly creates the conditions of the aesthetic — there's a charming interplay of all four in cybersigilism designs. Thin black lines, grey wash shadows, metallic highlights, and even white ink on blacked out portions of skin, pull the designs together. Occasionally, a highly washed out black ink will be used giving the tattoo a faded, or "barely there" appeal. The aesthetics correlate to black metal and low-fi horror (ex. The Blair Witch Project), as well as musical sub-genres like cyber goth and cyber punk.

Cybersigilism Techniques 

Fine lines are critical to cybersigilism tattoos. The delicacy of the line work supports the s-shaped elements of the patterns and helps to form a decorative rhythm. Grey wash, a distillation of black ink with water, is employed when there is desire for either shadow or to present a less prominent line or element. Metallic highlights, common in 3D realistic tattoos, are sometimes used to add volume to a design. Stippling, a technique most associated with engraving-style tattoos, also sometimes is used to add dimension.

Cybersigilism History 

Gaining popularity in the 2020s, cybersigilism tattoos are tangible evidence of the rising intersection between internet culture and explorations of mysticism. The term is attributed to Aingel Blood, an American LBGTQ+ tattooer. Cybersigilism has been embraced by members of the trans community as a method of body transformation after top surgery. Additionally, cybersigilism is associated with art-focused rave communities and music stemming from pioneering witch house act Salem, and more recently the witch house-inspired, darkwave producer Alik_Aura.  

Aesthetically, cybersigilism carries on from several precursors: tribal, blackwork, geometric, fine line, and ornamental tattoos. The establishment in the 1980s by Leo Zulueta of neotribal, which strips symbolism away from indigenous inspired-patterns, set a basis for the use of patterns in blackwork and fineline tattooing. This grounding resides in cybersigilism, the patterns — sharp and dynamic — recall the popularization of tribal-adjacent aesthetics in Y2K-era tattooing. Similarly, there are odes to the biker and punk aesthetics of the '80s and '90s, elements that bring a visible analog touchpoint to the tech and cyber side of the genre.

In the work of artists like Awa, Sadan, DanyKim, Umbra, and Chainsmaiden the influences of cybersigilism all pop with a dark, gothic intricacy. Even with decades of influence behind it, cybersigilism is very much of the now and a powerful new tattoo category.

Explore more Cybersigilism tattoo artists on Co:Create.