Surrealism is one of the most popular tattoo styles right now. Surrealism tattoos juxtapose images of reality and imagination, a style that wouldn’t be possible without the innovation of Salvador Dalí. Dalí was born on May 11th in 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia. As a young artist, Dalí was inspired by art movements such as Impressionism and Cubism. Dalí moved toward Surrealism in the late 1920s and by 1931 he finished one of his renowned pieces of all time— “The Persistence of Memory.” This piece is one of the most recognizable examples of Surrealist art and since 1934 it’s been on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This piece includes many notable Dalí elements, including the use of melting clocks, which represents the relativity of space and time.
Dalí moved to France during the Spanish Civil War and in 1940, he moved to the United States. Following his move to America, he created many of his most known works including 1944’s “Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening” and 1948’s “The Elephants.” Dalí passed away at the age of 84 in 1989 and his resting place is at the Dalí Theatre and Museum in his hometown.
Dalí made a significant impact on popular culture and he’s largely credited with introducing surrealism to the mainstream. We’ll even see his legacy portrayed on screen by actor Ben Kingsley in 2021’s “Dalíland.” His works are still celebrated today, both in celebration in museums as well as through tattoos. There are thousands of Dalí inspired tattoos out there and we’ve hand selected 75 of our absolute favorites. Take a peek at these surreal tattoos in the gallery below, then let us know your favorite Dalí work in the comments section on social media.