The Monkey King was created after I came up with the idea of making a new piece with the base theme being "Loss". I chose loss due to how the definition visually or audibly can vary; for this piece, I wanted to express more of myself and show how Native/Aztec culture was almost completely erased due to colonization. A part of me still feels that we are being erased with how gentrification continues to stampede into every city I go to. I chose a monkey because I was born in the year of the monkey, and because seeing how Ozomatli (Aztec monkey spirit companion name) is related to the god of music, I thought it was even more fitting. Aside from this, I also chose a monkey because of our loss with the past, kind of hinting at evolution theory. 
The monkey is shown wearing jade jewelry and a crown while bloodied, still hinting at the loss of life, culture, and famously the loss of gold and riches. 
The mouth shown is meant to represent the loss of life via drugs. I have seen the effects of drugs to family and friends and I still find it being a thing that stays prominent in my writing and my art. 
Below are reference photos I used and a movie that helped spark the idea of making this painting.