David Bowie’s widow Iman shares new ‘Blackstar’ tattoo on 10th anniversary of icon’s death

David Bowie’s widow Iman has shared her new ‘Blackstar’ tattoo to mark the 10th anniversary of her husband’s death.

• READ MORE: An oral history of David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’

Today (January 10) marks exactly a decade since Bowie passed away after an 18-month private battle with cancer, news that shocked the world in January 2016, both because the illness had not been disclosed and as it broke just two days after the release of his landmark final album ‘Blackstar’.

That record’s iconic artwork, designed by Bowie’s long-term collaborator Jonathan Barnbrook, has now been further immortalised in a new tattoo on the forearm of Iman, the model and actress who was married to Bowie from 1992 until his death.

“Jan. 10th. The pain didn’t vanish.. It left in its place a loving permanent mark. #BowieForever,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a video of the body art being applied.

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The tattoo consists of the run of five minimalist rune-like black shapes from the bottom of the album cover, which abstractly spell out ‘BOWIE’.

Barnbrook designed all of Bowie’s album covers and sleeves from 2002’s ‘Heathen’ onwards, and he described the ‘Blackstar’ artwork in 2016, saying: “The Blackstar symbol, rather than writing ‘Blackstar’, has a sort of finality, a darkness, a simplicity, which is a representation of the music,” he said.

On Thursday, Iman marked what would have been Bowie’s 79th birthday by sharing a black and white photo of the two of them, alongside the caption: “A million feeling, A thousand thoughts, A hundred memories…YOU! Happy Heavenly Birthday.”

Bowie’s daughter, Lexi, also shared her own tribute, posting an old photo of herself and her father on his birthday. “Da big 79 today. Happy birthday pops, miss ya!” she wrote.

Barnbrook, meanwhile, will be one of those involved when the British Library hosts an event to honour Bowie later this month. Jehnny Beth and Tony Visconti are among the other guests set to appear, and it will take place on 17 January under the title ‘David Bowie In Time’.

Elsewhere, Bowie’s last years were explored in a recent Channel 4 documentary titled The Final Act, while the BBC have also announced a Bowie doc for 2026 in the form of Bowie In Berlin.

Bowie’s childhood home in Bromley, South London is also set to be restored and made available to the public, it has been announced.

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