Tattoos

This page provides details on each of Shawn Mendes's tattoos, including their meanings and relevant information. Shawn Mendes currently has a collection of 19 known tattoos adorning his arms, hands, chest, and the back of his neck. Mende's tattoo journey took place in 2016 when Mendes got his first tattoo.

Guitar

In June 2016, Shawn Mendes got a guitar made out of trees on his right arm. In a July 2016 segment on the "Today" show, Shawn Mendes explained the details behind his guitar-shaped tattoo. The design finely combines depictions of trees reflected on water, CN Tower in Toronto representing his hometown pride, and a sound wave of the voices of his parents and younger sister expressing the phrase, "I love you." During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Mendes revealed that he had conceived the concept for the tattoo more than a year before actually getting it. Speaking to the talk-show host, he explained that the tattoo holds symbolic significance, representing the interconnectedness between "home, work, and family" in his life. In a conversation with Teen Vogue, Mendes shared that he approached the decision to get the tattoo with careful consideration. He emphasized the importance of selecting a design that would stand the test of time, expressing that he wanted his first tattoo to be something he would cherish and be content with forever. Livia Tsang was the tattoo artist who inked the guitar tattoo on Shawn.

Shawn Mendes Getting a Tattoo!

Light bulb

In May 2017, Shawn Mendes had the light bulb tattoo inked on the back of his right arm. The light bulb tattoo incorporates roots at its base and features blue Lily's and Orchids, chosen because it holds special significance as his mom's favorite flower. The light bulb, itself, serves as a representation of Shawn Mendes' second studio album, Illuminate. Livia Tsang, the tattoo artist, was the one who inked the light bulb tattoo on Shawn. In an interview with British GQ, Mendes shared that the tattoo serves as a personal reminder for him to "stay grounded" amidst the expanding landscape of his success. In a 2017 Teen Vogue interview, Shawn Mendes revealed that he got the tattoo during the Illuminate World Tour in Oslo, expressing, "I got it when I was in Oslo on tour; I really wanted something to remember this time of my life. It’s a light bulb that has roots and a colored flower inside."

Elephant

In September 2017, Shawn Mendes revealed an elephant tattoo on the middle finger of his left hand. He shared a glimpse of the ink through a Boomerang posted on his Instagram story during that same month. Shawn and his mother, Karen Mendes, got the same elephant tattoos on their fingers. During an interview with GQ, Shawn Mendes explained, "I was trying to convince her to get a tattoo for a while, and this is kind of the only thing she would do because she's obsessed with elephants. And they're pretty cool animals, actually, if you read about them."

Shawn & Karen

Swallow

In December 2017, Shawn got a swallow inked on his right hand. In a conversation with British GQ, Mendes explained that the bird is "a reminder of the fact that home isn't a building, but it's the people you love and the people you know as family and friends." Mendes also mentioned that swallows symbolize travelers, as sailors traditionally adorned themselves with this tattoo both prior to and following a journey. The design was done by tattoo artist Livia Tsang, who had previously worked on other tattoos for Shawn.

8

Shawn Mendes had the number 8 tattooed on the middle finger of his right hand, with the exact date of when he got the tattoo remaining unknown. The ink serves as a tribute to his lucky number and birthdate: August 8, 1998. In an interview with British GQ, the singer mentioned that the decision to get the tattoo was "a very fast decision, influences involved." In a 2018 interview with W Magazine, Mendes revealed that he got the tattoo alongside Hailey Baldwin, who was his girlfriend at the time (now his ex-girlfriend). During the same period, Mendes referred to Hailey Baldwin as his friend, although Us Weekly reported that they were dating. In a subsequent Rolling Stone cover story released a few months later, Mendes expressed hesitancy about defining his relationship with Baldwin, stating, "I think it was more of a zone of limbo."

Meditating man

Shawn Mendes has a tattoo featuring a meditating man on his right wrist. Although the exact time he got the tattoo is unclear, it became noticeable in performance photos as early as September 2018 and was also featured in Mendes' music video for "Lost In Japan," released in October of the same year. Close friend Brian Craigen also has an identical tattoo on his right arm. The meaning behind the meditating man tattoo is uncertain, but Mendes, who has been outspoken about his mental health challenges, shared in a Vogue interview that the meditation app 'Calm' played a pivotal role in helping him manage anxiety.

“	"I had definitely sat down a couple of times and done a meditation on YouTube, but it really wasn't until about two and a half years ago, when I was going through a really tough time and had a lot of anxiety, that I started using it regularly."	”
–Shawn Mendes

Butterfly

In July 2019, Shawn Mendes got a butterfly tattoo on his left arm. The inspiration for this tattoo came from a fan who posted an edited photo of Mendes featuring a butterfly tattoo. In response to the fan's creativity, Mendes tweeted, "Wait this is awesome, can u DM the drawing ??" A few days later, Mendes followed through on his interest and had the butterfly, designed by @macdreaper, permanently inked on his arm by the tattoo artist Livia Tsang in Dallas, Texas.

Good Luck

Shawn got this tattoo on the back of his left arm in October of 2019 in Singapore. Fans noticed that the design is similar to one that was on a plate that he posted a picture of on his Instagram months before in Portland. He has also said that he wanted to get this tattoo so that whenever someone sees it while walking behind him, they will feel inspired.

A

Shawn got the letter ‘A’ tattooed behind his ear in November of 2019 which references the first letter of his sister’s name.

When Shawn visited the tattoo parlor on this day, his then-girlfriend Camila Cabello was also getting a tattoo which would be her first ever tattoo. The tattoo Camila got was one that read the words ‘It’s a mystery’ on her pinky.

The tattoo artist for both of their tattoos was Kane Navasard and he posted pics of both tattoos on his Instagram.

Aaliyah Maria

Shawn got this tattoo in July 2020, located on the left side of his chest below the collarbone, which references his sister, Aaliyah Mendes. The tattoo artist was Kane Navasard who posted a close-up of the tattoo on July 26, 2020.

When talking about the tattoo in an interview with a fan, he says, “It’s just really beautiful. [It] feels nice, you know? I’m not around her often so I really appreciate this [tattoo].”

Wonder

Shawn got the title of his fourth album, Wonder, tattooed on his right arm, just below where the arm bends at the elbow. He stated that he wrote the tattoo himself with his left hand, upside down. Fans first noticed the new tattoo in August of 2020.

Little sunflower

On October 8, 2020, tattoo artist Kane Navasard posted a picture of Shawn’s new tattoo, written in a script font, that says ‘little sunflower’ on his right rib cage, on Instagram.

When asked about the tattoo in an interview by a fan in August of 2021, he said, “That is kind of a reference towards Camila in a way because [sunflowers are] her favorite flower. She’s obsessed with sunflowers.” During the interview, he also says that he didn’t know that many people knew he had the tattoo.

Good Boy

In May of 2021, Shawn got a tattoo on his left arm below his elbow that says ‘Good Boy’ by tattoo artist Kane Navasard.

In an interview on the Zach Sang Show in August 2021, Shawn said the following about the tattoo: "This is a bit weird of a tattoo. It’s just even weirder coming from me but it says Good Boy. It’s really just, like, a couple of my friends [and I] make a lot of art together and it’s kind of just a little inside joke we have."

Fe

Shawn also got the word 'Fe,' meaning 'faith' in Portuguese, tattooed on his right shoulder by artist Kane Navasard in May 2021, the same month he got his 'Good Boy' tattoo.

Red vertical line

On March 17, 2022, Shawn shared a photo dump on Instagram, including a shot taken from behind, revealing a new tattoo: a red vertical line running down the center of his neck. The meaning of the tattoo remains unknown and has yet to be revealed.

Wing

In February 2022, Shawn Mendes got a new tattoo on top of his right shoulder. It was first noticed when he posted a selfie on Twitter in April of that same year, but the meaning of the tattoo remains unclear.

Sun

In January 2023, Shawn Mendes added a sun tattoo to his right shoulder, positioned near his 'Fe' and wing tattoos. The meaning of the sun tattoo remains unclear.

Does Reis

In February 2024, Shawn Mendes got a new tattoo with the phrase "Dos Reis." The tattoo is placed on his upper back, just below the vertical red line on his neck. Mendes chose this design to honor his late grandmother, Marie Mendes, as "Dos Reis" was her maiden name. While it's a family surname from the Portuguese side of his family, the phrase also translates to "Of the Kings."

Nude man and woman

In June 2024, Mendes added a new tattoo to his body featuring a minimalist design of a nude man and woman embracing. The tattoo was originally an artwork drawn by Guanina Cotto. The tattoo is placed on his right arm near his 'Wonder' tattoo and is inked by Kane Navasard, The meaning behind the tattoo remains unknown.