Lucas Silveira from The Cliks On LA Ink

The Clik’s frontman to get inked by Kat Von D on LA Ink.

The Cliks’ frontman Lucas Silveira is not new to many things.

He’s been making music since he was at least 16, he’s toured all over the world and he’s got more than a few tattoos.

On March 25th, 2008, however, viewers can watch TLC’s LA Inked to see Silveira get a new tattoo- this time representing a new phase of his life and the hellish time he’s leaving behind.

Formerly living as Lilia Silveira, Lucas Silveira will be working with celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D to permanently etch a stylized Mexican Day of the Dead skull onto his body.

“Traditionally, Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations represent rebirth and moving into the second phase of life” says Silveira, “and to me it represents the rebirth I had when I transitioned from Lilia to Lucas and my true identity as a transgendered male.”

Brought up in the Roman Catholic Church, Silveira has long been surrounded by symbols of all kinds. Other than the familiar Catholic symbolism of snakes and trees and apples, representations of gender were permanently etched onto the body of his 600 person Canadian town. Silveira didn’t feel completely right living as Lilia but couldn’t live as Lucas, either.

Change came quickly, however, at the beginning of 2005 when Silveira came out of a 6 year romantic relationship, suffered the loss of a grandparent and decided to start living full time as Lucas.

Since then, Silveira has watched his musical career take off and is now the front man of the Cliks, a band he has watched evolve and change with an entirely new set of players.

The life change did not come without difficulty, of course, as Silveira has since faced apprehension from his family and his small Canadian hometown.

It is this hardship and “hellish time” that Silveria  speaks of when he describes the meaning behind his new tattoo. Just like the desert and dark woods of Catholic stories, one of the darkest parts of Silveira’s life is over. Let the rebirth begin.

You can watch Lucas get inked on Tuesday, March 25th 2008 on TLC’s LA Ink.


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