If you’ve been in the tattoo community for more than a month, you’ve probably already seen some pretty awesome mandala tattoos!

Coming in lots of shapes and sizes, the creation process of a mandala is itself an act of meditation - so we can only assume that these are some of the most chilled out tattoo artists on the planet.

Here are some of our favourite mandala tattoos created by our sponsored artists!

Mandala Tattoo Meaning

Hailing from the Eastern religions of the world, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Shinto, mandalas can actually come in a lot of different forms. As a general rule, they’re circular in design, with concentric or radiating patterns - but as the word literally means “circle” in Sanskrit, that’s the only real rule to them.

Mandalas can be used to signify sacred spaces, focus attention, aid in meditation and induce trances. Most popular in Buddhist and Hindu art, where they serve a whole range of purposes, they’re seen in cultures across the world including Celtic, Navajo, and Indian art.

Void Vitriol & Aston Reynolds - Geometric Mandala Tattoo

In a sense, all mandalas are geometric - they certainly fall under the heading of sacred geometry. Metatron’s Cube is composed of 13 identical circles making up the five Platonic Solids, considered to be the building blocks of the universe.

Void Vitriol created this large sternum version of the symbol in his unmistakable “brutal medieval” style, which looks almost etched into the skin.

Aston Reynolds' approach is simpler and cleaner, but showcases those beautifully straight line pulls we love from his videos - these look crisp enough to take a bite out of!

Sudanim & Tasha-Leigh Stewart - Mandala Pattern Tattoo

There are so many different patterns that can be generated by mandala designs, and by using them in varying sizes and combinations, artists can achieve unique effects with very similar design components.

This stunning backsuit by Sudanim centres around a large classic flower mandala, which is intersected by blackwork framing that echoes out. The pattern extends over the buttocks, while sharp lines of blackout intersect with repeating patterns on the sleeve.

Tasha-Leigh Stewart’s award-winning chest piece is dreamed around one large central mandala and two over the nipples. These are surrounded by hexagonal repeating tile patterns, which are in turn surrounded by a more ornamental repeating pattern!

Tomm Birch & Jenna Rose - Mandala Flower Tattoos

Flowers, but particularly lotus flowers, are used as a motif in a lot of mandalas - you’ll see plenty on this list!

In this back piece by Tomm Birch, scriptwork takes centre stage, and out of it radiates an abstract mandala flower. The whole thing rests on a lotus flower - these often represent enlightenment through suffering.

Jenna Rose has used a combination of techniques to create this floral piece with a cat portrait in the centre - we love how the cat and pattern reflect each other.

Tony Kennedy & Bintt - Mandala Head Tattoo

Both of these crown tattoos - which are no laughing matter as one of the most painful places to get tattooed - are built around a central dotwork flower but take completely different approaches.

Tony Kennedy’s entirely dotwork piece does radiate out from the centre, but the pattern is dissected by a juxtaposing arrow of negative space facing down the fact, representing creativity and the pursuit of knowledge.

Bintt’s piece, which combines dotwork and linework, has concentric rings of floral, geometric motifs which go all the way down to the ears. Kudos to both these brave people!

Lauren Ansbro & Swatidot - Mandala Hand Tattoos

A hand is considered one of the most perfect places to get a mandala tattoo, almost certainly because you can always look down to see it and remind yourself to breathe!

This hand piece from Lauren Ansbro packs in the ink quite densely around the central dotwork elements, but the way it goes up and onto the fingers gives the impression of wearing gauntlets.

Swatidot breaks out of the circle with this repeating Flower of Life pattern, made up of different dotwork densities and spreading from the forearm down to the fingertips.

Dom Joel & Suttoos - Mandala Leg Tattoos

Finally, less of a specific collection of tattoos than some leg sleeves we’re just big fans of!

Dom Joel’s leg sleeve actually continues all the way around the back of the leg, made up of varying sizes and patterns of mandala broken apart by geometric shapes - it’s an artfully done piece that begs for a closer examination.

This double leg sleeve from Suttoos uses contrast to incredible effect over both the legs to create a constantly flowing and evolving design. Incorporating flowers, geometric patterns, and tessellations with a combination of blackwork, negative space, dotwork and shading, it’s hard to imagine why the owner of these tattoos would ever wear trousers.

Hopefully you’re feeling at peace with the world after checking out these awesome mandala tattoos, and maybe even have some inspiration to get your own!

Let us know your favourites on Instagram or Facebook, and tag us in your own pieces!