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It feels like each painting not only features a toxic relationship, but a one sided one too.

The first painting shows a power imbalance.
The second shows someone without a partner but hoping for one or making one up.
The third shows a relationship where one "consumed" the other, perhaps by greed, being the center of attention, or the only one who's needs are met-the partner gives up themselves to nourish the other.
The forth painting has a wolf wanting to leave, so they're not invested in the relationship lasting or getting better.

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The contrast of pink against the intense black at the bottom of the image, and the placement of the pig's hands, draws the eyes to the pig's stomach. Another hint that it ate it's partner?

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The darker part of the background almost looks like a shadow of someone looming over the wolf.

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All the paintings except this one feel like the subjects are balanced in the center. The wolf, who wants to pull away from the relationship is the only one with the weight of the image on one side.

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Pink is a lighter version of red. A lighter tint (red + white) / lighter value.
So, pink represents a less intense version of red. The pink paintings are less harmful than the red ones.

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Characteristics of Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships

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Respect for both oneself and others is a key characteristic of healthy relationships. In contrast, in unhealthy relationships, one partner tries to exert control and power over the other physically, sexually, and/or emotionally. Healthy relationships share certain characteristics that teens should be taught to expect. They include: Mutual respect.

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A matching series showing the breakup of each relationship?
Or
A series of healthy relationship types.

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Toxic relationships are based on conflict, competition, and the need to control.

Signs of a toxic relationship include jealousy, blame, and gaslighting.

Therapy, as well as self-care and connecting with others, can help you heal and move forward.

Relationships fall into one of two categories. Positive or healthy relationships are those where the couple supports each other, shows empathy and compassion to the other person, and where both parties are willing to give and take. Positive relationships are not always perfect, but when the couple has disagreements, they are able to work it out in a way that is mutually satisfactory and does not result in one person imposing their will or desires on the other.

The other type of relationship is unhealthy. These relationships are often considered toxic as they are actually emotionally and sometimes physically harmful to one person. The term was first used by Lillian Glass in her 1995 book Toxic People and was used to indicate a relationship that is built on conflict, competition, and the need for one person to control the other.

Signs of a Toxic Relationship

Toxic people do not show their negative side early in the relationship. They are often extremely charismatic and seem to be the ideal or perfect partner. Then, over time, they start to show their true colors and become controlling, demanding, and emotionally abusive to their partner.

Signs of a toxic relationship may take months or even years to evolve. Typical signs of these damaging relationships include:

Isolation - the toxic person attempts to isolate the partner from family and friends to limit support and to increase dependence on the relationship.

Ongoing disagreements and arguments - it is common for people dating and in relationships to have minor disagreements, but toxic relationships are primarily based on arguments and negativity. The controlling partner is always berating, belittling, and putting down the other person or criticizing their attempts to do anything positive or independent.

Blaming - a toxic person has no sense of personal responsibility for negative things and events in a relationship. If your partner is willing to take full responsibility for all the good but none of the responsibility for anything bad or unpleasant, this is a critical sign of a toxic relationship.

Jealousy and dishonesty - a toxic relationship is often one of accusing a partner of flirting, dating, or even having a sexual relationship with someone outside of the relationship. At the same time, the controlling or toxic person may actively and openly engage in these same behaviors.

Denial and gaslighting - a toxic person is unable or unwilling to see his or her impact on the other person. They deny issues, attempt to gaslight the other person, manipulate events, or attempt to recreate history to put themselves in the best light.

Giving in on everything - while it is important to be willing to give and take, compromise, or even do what the other partner wants in a healthy relationship, this is expected behavior in a toxic relationship. If you find you are giving into everything, even things you find morally, personally, or ethically objectionable just to keep the other person happy, you are in a toxic relationship.

Recovering From a Toxic Relationship

It is possible to get out of a toxic relationship and move forward to find a positive, supportive and healthy relationship. The following tips can help to break free from toxicity:

Self-care - finding time to care for yourself and to learn to care about yourself again is a critical step in healing and re-balancing your priorities.

Reconnect - rebuilding or reconnecting with friends and family who love and care about you helps to align your emotional healing with positive relationships with trusted people.

Therapy - therapy and counseling are instrumental in understanding the destructive relationship dynamics of a toxic partner. Therapy also helps to establish self-assurance and self-esteem, which is necessary to prepare for a healthy relationship.

It is possible for a toxic partner to make changes and rebuild the relationship. However, he or she must be willing to do the work to make these changes and to learn new ways to communicate and interact as a healthy, supportive partner.

To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.

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Toxic relationships are based on conflict, competition, and the need to control. Signs of a toxic relationship include jealousy, blame, and gaslighting. Therapy, as well as self-care and connecting with others, can help you heal and move forward. Relationships fall into one of two categories.

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Maybe I can look up types of toxic relationships and add another to this series?
Can look up more animal symbolism to see what might fit best.

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Got hooked on art when he learned to draw Micky Mouse.
Took a college level watercolor class as a kid, it scared him off art for several years.
Describes his formula as cute characters mixed with dark human narratives.
" if there's something that you find visually stimulating, peruse it....it's important to create the kind of art that you want to see."

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@lukechueh

Compare some of his new art to this series?

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All were done with: Acrylic, Ink, and Thread, on Canvas
(Listed under every painting's webpage)

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https://munkyking.com/collections/luke-chueh?page=1

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On the artist's WikiArt page it listed his work as belonging to the Lowbrow art movement.

https://www.wikiart.org/en/luke-chueh

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DailyArtMagazine.com - Art History Stories

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Somewhere between the late 1960s and the 1970s, a new artistic movement emerged from the underground scene. At that time it didn't have any self-consciousness, as there wasn't even a name for it. However, the art was present and it appealed to ordinary people. The art movement under discussion is called Lowbrow. Some consider it a branch of pop art. Nonetheless, it grew so much, that it gave life to new offshoots. So let's see what the Lowbrow movement actually is. Is it just another subculture or does it define a whole generation of artists?
History

Lowbrow arose in Los Angeles, California in the late 1960s and 1970s. It was an underground visual art movement. In the beginning most of the artists were underground cartoonists, like Robert Williams and Gary Panter. Some believe that the movement has its roots in the late 1950s when Ed "Big Daddy" Roth created Rat Fink, in South California. During the 1960s, Lowbrow flourished into underground comix (yes, on this occasion, it is spelled this way) like Zap Comix. The most distinctive artists were Robert Crumb, Victor Moscoso, Steve Clay Wilson, and the pillar of the movement, Robert Williams.

The cultural influences of the Lowbrow movement are many. Besides underground comix, artists drew inspiration from classic cartoons, punk music, pulp art, "B" horror movies, Japanese anime, tiki, and surf cultures, soft porn, graffiti, hot rod culture, and other "subcultural" offerings. They also used several icons of popular culture. All artworks are humorous, sometimes in a joyful way or a mischievous one. There are times when the humor is quite sarcastic too.

The goal of the movement was to get a rise out of convention. Most artists, if not all, were self-taught and they had nothing to do with fine art. Even though they knew the "rules" of art, they unapologetically didn't follow them. This led to the disapproval of the movement by mainstream critics, curators, and galleries. Nonetheless, there were some alternative galleries in Los Angeles and New York, who organized exhibitions of lowbrow artists. To name a few of these galleries, there was the Psychedelic Solution Gallery in Greenwich Village, New York, La Luz de Jesus in Los Angeles, and 01 gallery in Hollywood.

Origin of the Term

In 2006, Robert Williams took credit for originating the term. He stated that back in 1979, Gilbert Shelton, the publisher of Rip Off Press, decided to make a book of Williams' paintings. So Williams had to think of a name for the book. He named it The Lowbrow Art of Robt. Williams since no authorized art carrier would recognize his type of art. Thus lowbrow opposed highbrow, which is the high culture. The name stuck although Williams felt it was not suitable. He refers to the movement as "cartoon-tainted abstract surrealism". When it comes to his own work, he lately refers to it as "conceptual realism".

Juxtapoz Magazine

In 1994, Robert Williams, along with Greg Escalante and Eric Swenson, published the first Juxtapoz magazine. The aim was to express and legitimize the Lowbrow art movement. The magazine had a huge impact on the representation and projection of lowbrow artists. Of course it didn't publish only lowbrow, but also underground cultural stuff too. It was always proud of its cultural roots and it didn't hesitate to show it.

The magazine is still being published today and it is the second most-read art magazine in the USA. It counts thousands of readers, and after 26 years it is still going strong on art and culture affairs.

Legitimacy of the Movement

As aforementioned, the Lowbrow movement didn't have and still doesn't have the approval of the Art World. Certainly the Art World didn't approve of many movements when they first emerged, such as realism, fauvism, dada, surrealism, expressionism, Indian River School, or the Florida Highwaymen, and many others.

However, if the necessary conditions for the legitimacy of a movement are the ability to last, and to speak in visual terms to a large audience, it is safe to say that Lowbrow is a legitimate art movement. It corresponds to the needs of ordinary people for a common cultural language. It has defined a whole generation of artists and it would be unfair to not applaud them.

The Rise of Pop Surrealism

Lowbrow manifests itself differently in varying regions, places, and social conditions. Some see a distinct U.S. "West Coast" style, which is influenced by tiki culture, surf culture, and hot rod car culture. The fact that there are many descriptions proves the case in point; underground, Neo-Pop, and Kustom, are only a few.

As the Lowbrow movement started to grow, some artists tried to take their art to the next level. So a new branch emerged: Pop Surrealism. These artists were trained in the fine arts but they were charmed by the lowbrow style. Kenny Scharf, the godfather of Pop Surrealism, gave a very good definition of his work and by extension to this new style:

Surrealism is about the unconscious, and I feel my work is about the unconscious. The images come from the unconscious except that my unconscious is filled with pop imagery. My unconscious is pop, therefore the art would be Pop Surrealism.
Kenny Scharf

Basically, Pop Surrealism is the marriage of pop culture icons to the obscurity of surrealism. Gradually, the line between lowbrow and highbrow blurred. The artists use pop icons, like Disney characters or Marilyn Monroe, to transmit social and political messages. Meanwhile their technique reminds one of Van Gogh, Picasso or Dali, and other great artists. The result is a beautiful and polished work of art, in comparison to pure lowbrow's raw and rough.

Pop Surrealist Artists & Hi-Fructose Magazine

One of the most famous Pop Surrealist artists is Mark Ryden. He uses pop idols and puts them into dreamy or creepy environments. There are also Ray Caesar, Jeff Sotto, Yoshimoto Nara (the Keane eyes have been a major inspiration for him), Alex Gross, Camille Rose Garcia, Tara McPherson, and so many others. Also, Hi-Fructose magazine publishes many artists. It kind of does the same thing as Juxtapoz, although Hi-Fructose leans towards Pop Surrealism. Whatever the case, it has helped in strengthen both movements.

Thus Pop Surrealism appeals to ordinary people too. The average citizen isn't interested or educated in art history, but is into pop culture. Therefore, it is easy to enjoy Pop Surrealism. Along with the rise of Pop Surrealism and its public appeal, came the first validation of the Lowbrow movement in the art world. Galleries have opened their doors to these artists and have held their exhibitions. Of course there is still a long way to the top, but at least there is some recognition.

Going Digital

In the 2000s everything went digital. So did Lowbrow and Pop Surrealism. The artists started using photoshop and 3D modeling to create their art. Unfortunately with this adaption came an identity crisis. Nowadays anyone who creates a kitschy or pop illustration claims to be a lowbrow artist. So, how do artists who make flawless lowbrow paintings or sci-fi sculptures separate themselves from all others? How can one prove that their technically perfect works are proper lowbrow or pop surrealism when under the hashtag #popsurrealism, there are millions who claim to be suitable representatives?
All images are for illustration purposes only.

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Lowbrow Art, Subcultural Movement or Legitimate Art Generation? - DailyArtMagazine.com - Art History Stories

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Somewhere between the late 1960s and the 1970s, a new artistic movement emerged from the underground scene. At that time it didn't have any self-consciousness, as there wasn't even a name for it. However, the art was present and it appealed to ordinary people. The art movement under discussion is called Lowbrow.

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All the paintings in this series share the same art style.
Has black outlines (contour lines)
The lines are mildly rough
Some shading but it's not rendered to be fully realistic
They all feature "cute" animals
A bit painterly - evidence of brushwork
Background is a color gradient - focus is on characters

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"Employing minimal color schemes, simple animal characters, and a seemingly endless list of ill-fated situations, Chueh stylistically balances cute with brute, walking the fine line between comedy and tragedy."

This means we can assume the pink paintings, while more visually cheerful, both represent toxic relationships.

https://gallery.rotofugi.com/exhibits/2019-LukeChueh/
http://www.lukechueh.com/bio.html

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Rabbits/bunnies are known for breeding often/in large numbers and may represent people who want to be in relationships.

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A wolf might represent a "lone wolf" who would prefer to be alone and might find a relationship as too restricting.

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Pigs are often characterized as selfish. A pig represent someone who may not be able to be in a healthy relationship because they are too greedy.

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Meaning of "hot air" saying.

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Both have a red to almost black gradient as their background- a darker tone, more unhealthy/toxic relationships?

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Theme of the Series: Red String of Fate/Relationships

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Theme of the Series: Red String of Fate/Relationships

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The series is connected by the shared theme of "The Red Thread of Fate", AKA the red thread of destiny, red string of fate, etc. The red thread is an East Asian belief that originated from Chinese and Japanese legends. The idea is that the G-ds tie and invisible red string around the fingers, hands, or ankles of people who are soul mates, destined to marry each other.

http://www.lukechueh.com/paintings/red-thread-bound.html

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Both have a pink background- Could be more light hearted/less harmful relationships?

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http://www.lukechueh.com/paintings/red-thread-wolf.html

This painting may represent someone who's in a relationship that they want/need to escape from. The wolf is even willing to chew it's hand off in order to escape.

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http://www.lukechueh.com/paintings/red-thread-piggy.html

This painting may represent someone too selfish and greedy to love. The placement of the string and title lead the viewer to think, perhaps this pig's partner had been consumed.

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http://www.lukechueh.com/paintings/red-thread-balloon.html

This painting might represent someone who's destined to be alone. The bunny is saying they have or will have a partner, but that's nothing but "hot air."

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http://www.lukechueh.com/paintings/red-thread-bound.html

I think this part of the series represents a controlling relationship, the kind where one partner is "wrapped around the finger" of the other. The bunny on the ground looks as if they are resigned to their fate.

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The artwork for Fall Out Boy's "Folie à Deux" album 

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http://www.lukechueh.com/bio.html