Through the portraits of men, Chicano Life, retraces the history of Hispanic tattoo culture
in Los Angeles.
Whether rappers, tattoo artists, barbers, actors or gang members, the ink on their skin
depicts their stories, their pains, evokes their religion or the love for their family.
Remains of pre-Columbian history , letterings paying tribute to their neighborhoods, or
portraits of bandits...
These traditional tattoos are all done in black and grey. It was a natural step for me to
present these photographs in black and white to the world, in order to extend the
aesthetic of their tattoos.
When tattoo becomes a weapon, a way of fighting in order to affirm one’s identity, a
return to the roots for the largest racial minority in the USA after the afro americans.