Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Insider

Koi fish are known for their beauty, their scales come in a variety of colors and patterns. It’s no wonder koi tattoos are such a popular design to get. Koi tattoos are stunning and have a significant historical presence in Japanese tattoo culture as the koi fish is an iconic design dating back centuries.

Although the koi tattoo is most prevalently seen in the traditional Japanese style, there are many different ways to design a koi tattoo that is amazing and unique. Koi tattoos look great in a realistic style, using black and grey ink to create depth and shadow. However, colorful koi tattoos done in modern or traditional style can be equally striking, as a stand-alone piece or as part of a sleeve, they are sure to impress.

Koi fish can swim very far upstream, and are often seen as a symbol of strength, both physical and mental, and especially in the face of conflict. A koi tattoo can also symbolise succeeding against the odds and an unwavering ambitiousness. Because of the aesthetic qualities of the koi fish, a koi tattoo may also symbolize beauty or represent the wearer’s appreciation for beauty in nature.

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Koi fish also hold significance in Chinese culture, one example being the well-known yin-yang symbol, which represents two koi fish. Koi tattoos that incorporate the ying-yang symbol into the design are a popular and thoughtful koi tattoo idea that can be designed in many different ways. A koi tattoo that depicts the two halves of the yin-yang symbol as koi fish is the most commonly tattooed of all the koi and yin-yang symbol tattoo designs, it’s also an easy design to add to, changing it up and making it unique.

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