Nik Cho

Nik Cho paints queer spaces and subjects from his experience, depicting the tension between navigating a socially conservative South Korean culture and living as an “out” gay immigrant in the US. Between loud and confident brushstrokes, Cho’s works hold the tension between visibility and concealment for young, queer men navigating intimacy, privacy, and shame. Identity-signaling symbols are intimate visual declarations, where the affirmation of resistance and community in a conservative culture battles with the notion of concealment. In Cho’s multi-canvas works, where interactions between characters are secret; gesture, touch, and position speak volumes.