Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Alicia Flores. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Cynthia Flores is an emerging Chicana artist and tattoo artist that is based from Norwalk, California. She always possessed the drive to have a creative career, which allowed her to become both a fine artist and tattoo artist. Flores considers one of her greatest accomplishments to be completing her tattoo apprenticeship in September 2017. She evolved into a professional Tattoo artist from a scratcher who has been tattooing since she was 15 out of her mother’s garage in Norwalk. Flores earned her Bachelor’s Degree of fine art from CSUDH. Through her Bachelor’s program, Cynthia’s body of work consisted of oil paint, graphite, ceramic, sculpture, and tattoo body art. During her senior year of CSUDH, Cynthia and Elizabeth Lee opened a space for tattooing, gallery and studio work called Psyche Vision which is located in Orange, CA. One of the few female-owned shop and gallery spaces designed to support women and minorities in the art and tattoo industry, encouraging artists to keep creating artwork. Balancing both fine and tattoo work, Flores exercises creating fine art in an effort to alter the reputation of body art to become a more respectable medium in the art industry.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a young Chinana woman in the tattoo and art industry came with its struggles, along with its rewards. The public eye recognizes success and reward without understanding the painful devotion and sacrifices that were made to earn these treasures. Most people react like I was joking when I said I wanted to be an artist, it was “unachievable”, it was “unrealistic”, it was not “financially stable”. My goal was never to be wealthy but to be rich in the soul. I love painting and I love drawing and I was determined to make it my career ever since I was a child and could answer what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I was 13, I saw Kat Von D and Ed Hardy on TV, and I saw the potential of being a tattoo artist, so I started tattooing at 15. I was warned about how I would be treated as an apprentice in a tattoo shop, so I was pre-conditioned to take whatever sexist or prejudiced behavior was thrown at me, and I was prepared to be disowned by my family. I was determined to sacrifice everything to have my own version of everything. I was homeless, friendless, orphaned and broke for this job. I fought with my family every day, my friends all thought I was stupid working for free, I cried every day from the harassment at work, the emotional abuse at home, and to be bullied by my own friends, all while I had to manage my studies and smile at school with no source of income, and I convinced myself that it was necessary in order to achieve my goals.
Looking back, I was really alone and defeated, but I was so happy that I was the catalyst of making my dreams come true. When I was in my earlier stages of my career, as a student and apprentice, every day I was on my toes. I constantly felt I was being observed, I was not working hard enough, I did not clean enough I was not kind enough, social enough, the limits of being a decent human being were beyond pushed. I constantly felt I needed to prove to everyone that I was a hard worker, that I was an impressive and elite-level artist, I was in a constant state of overachieving just for any amount of praise. I realize now that none of that matters; my own satisfaction will surpass anyone’s opinion, but I appreciate the push. The struggles I went through and the emotional beating it takes to be a tattoo artist, there is so much pressure to be perfect with your work in this industry. To have lost so much and to have gained it all back, this job gives me a home, a studio, a supportive family, genuine friendships and a life that I am proud of to work and exist in every day. Most importantly this job allows me to paint, draw and make my own artwork in my downtime. I wholeheartedly worked for this position in life and I am eternally grateful to be given back so much more than I could have ever imagined. Dreams DO come true.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Cynthia Flores is an emerging artist and tattoo artist that is based from Norwalk, California. She always possessed the drive to have a creative career, which allowed her to become both a fine artist and a tattoo artist. Her work is inspired from capturing humans at their rawest, most vulnerable moments. Cynthia finds that in a world where most of society finds comfort with surface-level connection, she wants to expose sensitive topics that most individuals can find alleviation in privacy. Flores’s goal is to comfort the individual vs. pleasing the crowd. She expresses her metaphysical ideologies through the use of Oil paint, ceramics, sculpture, graphite and tattoo body art. Her work distributes a surrealistic demeanor which focuses on the multi-dimensional universe and being witnessed by a virtuous observer. Her work visually displays value and belief in the spiritual realm.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My stepdad Mark Lema, who bought me my first tattoo machines, and my mother who always supported my dreams of being an artist. My community at CSUDH, former colleagues, and classmates. Elizabeth Lee, my dearest friend and business partner, my amazing clientele <3 and lastly, my very supportive soul partner Anthony Figueira. Thank you all for the support
Pricing:
- 180 per hour tattooing
- 150 deposits
Contact Info:
- Website: cynnerart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynnerrr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynnertattoos
Image Credits
Cynthia A Flores (me)
