Semioticians analyze symbols, so for this series, we’ve asked 25 of our semio colleagues from around the world to explicate the symbolism of… one of their own tattoos.

Thankfully, this tattoo doesn’t make itself available to elaborate semiotic analysis, born as it is from the point at which signification tends to flounder. At least it flounders for me.

Five years ago my wife Helen was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Two years after that diagnosis we spent an insurance pay-out on a trip to Iceland for ourselves and our adult children. We drove an SUV around the perimeter of the island, hiked waterfalls, saw our first Humpback whales, walked around basalt monoliths on deserted beaches and watched ribbons of Aurora dance seemingly inches from our faces. 

At the end of the journey we decided we should all have a tattoo to mark the occasion and Helen’s continued good health. My son Jamie sketched this star and we agreed it felt right. 

Later, we decided that its five points might stand for the four of us plus our recently acquired puppy, but beyond that I’m happy for its appeal to remain largely unconscious. It was a spontaneous decision at the end of a glorious trip and that’s enough. 

Three years later Helen is, miraculously, still alive and thriving thanks to a combination of medical innovation and luck. We live in five-monthly reprieves between scans but we do our best to live well. If the Skelton-Deakin family tattoo signifies anything, it’s our attempt to do that. 

TATTOO YOU: Nicola Zengiaro (Italy) on CORAL OF LIFE | Su Luo (Taiwan) on AN ISLAND, A TREE | Thierry Mortier (Sweden) on LIJFSPREUKEN | Cristina Voto (Italy) on JELLYFISH | Charles Leech (Canada) on SURF WAVES | Mariane Cara (Brazil) on BECOMING’S TRIAD | Chris Martin (Canada) on PUNK ROCK HEART | Angie Meltsner (USA) on ENJOY EVERY SANDWICH | Samuel Grange (France) on POLYMORPHOUS | Inka Crosswaite (Germany) on LAYERED FRAGMENT | Al Deakin (England) on FAMILY STAR | Hibato Ben Ahmed (France) on HENNA HAND | Max Matus (Mexico) on KALINGA REDOX | Whitney Dunlap Fowler (USA) on IN THE UNTETHERED | Chirag Mediratta (India) on PHOENIX & BUTTERFLY | Alexandra Ncube (England) on LIMINAL ROOTS | Josh Glenn (USA) on FALLING ANGEL | Aarushi Chadha (India) on PART-TIME PEOPLE PERSON | Serdar Paktin (Turkey/UK) on RESISTANCE & SURRENDER | Tatiana Jaramillo (Colombia/Italy) on EMBERÁ BLACKOUT | Antje Weißenborn (Germany) on FADED STAR | Sundari Sheldon (USA) on SUN | Roberta Graham (England) on SUNFLOWER/GUNMETAL | TBD (TBD) on TBD | TBD (TBD) on TBD.

Also see these global semio series: MAKING SENSE (Q&As) | SEMIOFEST SESSIONS (monthly mini-conferences) | COVID CODES | SEMIO OBJECTS | COLOR CODEX | DECODER (fictional semioticians) | CASE FILE | PHOTO OP | MEDIA DIET | TATTOO YOU (semioticians’ tattoos).