Radio In!

The robot in Radio In has a radio attached to its ear, symbolizing how I felt about my phone during a time when I constantly had to check in with someone I was dating. It felt like my phone was always glued to me, draining my sense of freedom. That experience has shaped the way I communicate today, and it’s the reason I resent being on the phone unnecessarily.

This piece captures that feeling of being tethered—where the constant notifications and check-ins leave you feeling like your time isn’t truly yours. The bold colors and rough lines reflect the frustration of always being ‘on call,’ and the robot’s blank expression is a mirror to that emotional detachment.

As with many of my pieces, I started by using Behr paint for the primer and base layers, building the background and filling in the base colors. I then mixed acrylics to achieve specific colors and gradients, adding dimension and depth. To finish, I used POSCA paint markers for outlining, cleaning up the edges, and adding final touches like lines and highlights.

It’s a reminder of how easy it is for technology, or relationships, to take control of our time if we let them.