Flea’s tattoos have changed over the years, from the Jimi Hendrix portrait he got in 1981 to the black bear on his chest added decades later. He also has a large back design, a spiral and elephants along one arm. Flea has spoken about the bear and Hendrix; photos show the other pieces.
Flea has explained what his chest bear means
Flea unveiled the black bear on his chest in June 2021 and credited tattoo artist Dr. Woo. The close-up shows the bear’s fine shading; it takes up only a small part of his chest.
In a post covered by Hauraki, Flea said bears had always been around him. He connected them with “bravery, strength and protection”, as well as defending personal boundaries, and also linked them to the forest and the earth.
Flea also mentioned people close to him with Bear in their names, another personal connection behind the tattoo. He hasn’t said that any one association is the whole story.
Unlike many of Flea’s older tattoos, the bear has a named artist and an explanation from him. For several earlier pieces, there is little beyond a photograph or a short catalogue description.
Flea got the Jimi Hendrix portrait on his left arm in 1981
Flea got the Hendrix portrait on his left upper arm in 1981, when he was 19. In a Rolling Stone interview, later excerpted by Ultimate Classic Rock, Flea recalled hearing about a talented tattooist in town, deciding he wanted Hendrix’s face and going for it. It was a quick decision, not a design he had planned for years.
Flea recalled that his mother or stepfather asked him to consider the lasting psychological effects of getting a tattoo. Still, he went ahead with a portrait of a musician whose playing meant a great deal to him.
An old Getty Images caption places Hendrix above a line of elephants on Flea’s left arm. The portrait and elephants sit close together, so they can look like one design in photographs, but they are separate pieces.
Flea got the portrait before the Chili Peppers formed in 1982. It predates the band’s first album and his later fame, and began as a tribute to a musician whose playing he admired.
A large design covers Flea’s upper back
A broad, dark design covers the upper part of Flea’s back, between the shoulder blades. Its face-like center is surrounded by layered shapes and lines that fan outward. It takes up much more space than the bear on his chest. The monochrome photograph shows the outline clearly, though some of the shading is hard to make out.
No reliable first-person account explains who designed the back tattoo, when Flea got it or what it means. Its face-like center and radiating lines may invite guesses, but the design alone can’t tell us his intent.
Performance photos rarely show Flea’s back; he is usually seen from the front or side with a bass. Lighting can flatten the design or make it look darker, so a clear view from behind gives a better sense of its size and layout.
The spreading lines give the large back piece a bolder look than Flea’s smaller chest tattoos.
Flea also has a chest spiral and elephant tattoos
A separate portrait shows a Celtic-style spiral on Flea’s right chest and small, colourful elephants on his left arm. The spiral is a tight circular pattern, while the elephants are compact figures that follow his arm. A portrait published by Composers Breakfast Club shows the chest and arm together.
Getty’s older caption for the Hendrix portrait also mentions the elephants around it on Flea’s arm, showing they were already there in photographs from his early years.
The spiral’s curves give it a Celtic-inspired look, but Flea hasn’t said why he chose it or tied it to his heritage or beliefs. He hasn’t explained what the elephants mean to him either.
The spiral and elephant line add more pattern to a collection that also includes portraits, animals and the large back design.
The stories Flea has shared
Flea got the Hendrix portrait at 19, before the Chili Peppers formed, and decades later had Dr. Woo tattoo the bear on his chest. He has spoken about why both designs matter to him. The back design, spiral and elephants round out a collection that spans portraits, animals and abstract patterns.