Prairie Queer: A Look Behind the Design with Nick Hoffert

This Pride season, our Prairie Queer design has been one of the most meaningful and wildly popular collaborations we’ve ever released. The design was illustrated by Saskatoon artist Nick Hoffert (he/him) in collaboration with Social Made Local, and we’re really excited to share some of his thoughts on growing up on the prairies, queer identity, creativity, and building community through art.

Sitting down to get to know Nick a little better, this conversation explores his artistic process, the experiences that shaped his creative voice, and the importance of creating space for queer expression on the prairies. From tattooing and illustration to photography, collage, and graphic design, Nick’s work is rooted in storytelling, resilience, and making people feel seen.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and who you are? What first drew you toward illustration and tattoo artistry?

I was born and raised on the prairies, living in four small towns in Saskatchewan before moving to Saskatoon at 12 years old. As a white settler, I realize how privileged I am to be able to grow up and live here.

I did one year of university while doing my tattoo apprenticeship to see if I liked post-secondary (I didn’t). I now focus my education through noninstitutional means, with peers and mentors, books, and media. Art has always gone hand-in-hand with learning for me. I draw what I love - book characters, human anatomy, architecture. If I was thinking about it, I would draw it!

I have always been interested in tattoos and wanted to decorate my body. I drew on myself with markers throughout my childhood until I was allowed to get tattooed at 18 and fell in love with the whole process.

What keeps you excited and motivated to continue creating after all these years?

Creating art is something I just do - it’s not something I necessarily need motivation for, it just happens. What excites me is expressing myself, learning about the world, and exploring visual storytelling. I look to all different media for inspiration: movies, video games, photography, music, novels, and graphic design. I love taking elements from art I admire and incorporating them into my work, learning about the significance behind imagery or colours, and using them to identify certain themes in my own art. I love making people think and I love making people laugh, and these are also driving forces in my creative process.

How has living in Saskatoon and the prairies shaped you both as a person and as an artist? Are there elements of prairie life, nature, or culture that find their way into your work?

The community of people with similar experiences and values as me that I have found has helped me flourish as an artist. I can carve out a space for myself and my art that feels like it belongs with some and rebels against others.

I love observing nature on the prairies, and take inspiration from walks by the river, sunsets, beach days, and camping. Just being outside helps me be creative, even if the natural world doesn’t always make it into the visuals I create.

As a queer artist living in the prairies, how would you describe your experience here? What has it been like building a creative life in a smaller or more rural space?

My experience as a queer artist here has been met with love and acceptance, and my work is celebrated in queer spaces. I don’t get a lot of reactions from non-queer folks - I get that my art isn’t for everyone to like, but I don’t create to be liked.

I don’t know what it would be like to be a creative in a bigger community because I have never experienced that, but I like the community of creatives here who support and uplift each other!

What do you think people outside of Saskatchewan often misunderstand about smaller or rural communities, especially in the context of queer life and identity?

I think a lot of people perceive Saskatchewan to be conservative in terms of social acceptance and progressiveness, and therefore not having a lot of space for queer celebration or acceptance. We make our own space. People may not know that prairie queers are so resilient and loud because we have to be, and we are constantly standing up for ourselves and protecting each other.

What role do you think art, and even platforms like social media, play when it comes to social justice, human rights, and creating space for people to express themselves authentically?

I could fill a book with my thoughts on art’s social and cultural purpose, but I’ll keep it short and sweet. Art is human nature - it reflects everything about us because it is what we do to tell our stories. It’s a deeper communication than conversation. In terms of social justice and human rights, it connects groups of people across the world and creates communities based on shared experiences, understandings, values, and objectives. Art is the most important aspect of the human experience. I dare you to live a life without art, it’s impossible.

Can you walk us through the Prairie Queer design? What inspired it, and what conversations or ideas shaped the final piece?

Tyler and I wanted to create something that represented a large and diverse group of people, to make them feel seen and celebrated. The Wheat Pool logo on a grain elevator is a recognizable symbol of the prairies, and also represents a traditional, western agricultural perspective. While we as queer people may not always feel we identify with that culture, the prairies are our home, hence the “QUEER” rather than “POOL”.

We also wanted to incorporate the cowboy and unicorn as counter-culture to traditional gender roles on the prairies. Queer people come in so many shapes and sizes, and sometimes aren’t visibly queer, but it doesn’t make them any more or less queer. A cowboy who is also queer is still a cowboy.

Of course, the wheat and flowers native to the prairies are included, and a fence on the horizon. I took a classic prairie landscape and made it as bright and colorful as the queer community here.

What’s keeping you optimistic about queer life in 2026?

The community I have found is not only keeping me optimistic but inspiring me to be a loud artist. The support I receive is like a positive feedback loop, it just makes me want to create more. I want to spark conversations, make people feel heard, and help others express themselves.

I’m also kept optimistic by queer anger. Being angry means, we care enough to do something, and action is the most effective way to fight for our rights. There’s a lot of people working against us, but there’s also a lot of people working for us.

What do you hope people feel when they wear the Prairie Queer design?

I hope people feel validated in their experiences as prairie queers. I hope they feel happy to live here. I want people to feel hopeful for the future of the prairies and our community. I hope it makes others get loud about our rights and fight against anti-LGBTQ+ movements.

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Nick is wearing the Prairie Queer Tee, designed in collaboration with Social Made Local. Nick is a queer multidisciplinary artist from Saskatoon working across tattoos, graphic design, linocut, photography, collage, and traditional drawing. Their work explores identity, storytelling, and bold visual expression. Connect with Nick at nickhoffert15.ca