Siichele - Cry Now, Smile Later

I have had the honor to be in SiiChele’s presence since I started my work in Chicago Drag, one of the most beautiful souls in the city with beautiful face and body to match!! I’ve always respected how Siichele navigates her emotions, I made this piece when I myself was in a very vulnerable place in my life and I resonated with SiiChele emotionally. The message behind it references the classic vintage Cholo tattoo design ‘Smile Now, Cry Later’ with laughing and crying clown masks. My goal was to convey how we should deal with pain in healthier way, crying now rather than later so that we may have the chance to genuinely be happy later after dealing with our emotional head on. Hiding our pain in Mexican culture was far too common due to environmental circumstances preventing the access to mental healthcare, and caused a lot of additional pain for generations to come. To this day this is my most iconic and proudest creation in my heart.