Nik Cho is a Chicago-based artist born in Seoul, South Korea. He received his BFA in Painting & Drawing from the School of the Art Institute Chicago will receive his MFA in Painting & Drawing at SAIC, with an anticipated graduation of 2024. Through his work he explores and expresses emotions stemming from both his identity as an immigrant and a gay man despite societal pressures from Korean culture and remaining closeted to his family. His unconventional, vibrant colors maximize the intensity of specific, intimate moments. This palette is used as a contrast to highlight the underlying negative emotions associated with both expression of sexual identity and the everyday life of queer people. It further sheds light on corporate and media desire to hide the “darker” sides of queer existence, especially when rainbow colors associated with “Pride” are used for personal gains.