Dillon Forte brings sacred geometry tattoos back to San Diego

Dillon Forte is bringing his sacred-geometry work back to California for a one-week guest residency at Guru Tattoo in Middletown, giving San Diego collectors a narrow window to book one of the most recognizable names in the style. The residency runs May 28 through June 4 and matters most for clients looking for large, highly structured geometry, mandalas, and dotwork that depend on planning as much as execution.

Forte’s tattoo language blends art, mathematics, and symbolism. His work pulls from patterns in nature, architecture, and the human body, and he has built a reputation around balance and harmony rather than decoration for its own sake. That approach makes the residency especially relevant for people considering custom sacred-geometry pieces, because Forte’s process begins with a conversation about symbols, life transitions, and meaning before the design is locked in. For geometric collectors, that is the real difference between a standard appointment and a guest spot with an artist who treats every element as part of the composition.

The timing also gives Guru Tattoo a strong fit for the booking rush that usually follows a high-profile guest artist announcement. Guru says it has been in business for 20 years and operates two San Diego locations. Its Pacific Beach shop has 10 resident artists, while the Little Italy location has 13 resident artists and is also home to Evolve Tattoo Removal and the Chats & Tatts podcast. Founder Aaron Della Vedova chose the name Guru more than 20 years ago for its spiritual roots and its meaning as a teacher or expert, which fits naturally with Forte’s sacred-geometry focus.

Forte’s visibility reaches well beyond the tattoo world. His work has drawn celebrity clients including Usher, Chris Hemsworth, Kehlani, members of Imagine Dragons, and Kat Von D. He is now Texas-based, but his official biography identifies him as a California native born in February 1987, and this San Diego stop reads like a homecoming as much as a booking event. For local collectors, that combination usually means more demand, tighter availability, and a sharper premium on the few days an artist like Forte is actually in town.

That is what makes this residency stand out: not just the name, but the short window. Forte is back in California for a brief run, and for anyone chasing precision-heavy sacred geometry, the opportunity will be measured in days, not months.