Grounded. Acrylic on canvas, 2021, Exhibited at HINDSIGHT 2020, Art Museum of The University of Memphis, TN

Grounded addresses the nonavailability of travel during the pandemic as precautionary restrictions were placed on domestic and international travel. The oversized figure rests atop the airplane. He stretches a mask across his back in a gesture that recalls childlike play. Noé Piña injects the painting with a levity that aims to diminish the psychological weight of isolation and restriction. The title is a humorous play on words referring to both grounded planes and mental grounding