Help!, 2026, mixed media, 36 x 24 in. / 91.44 x 60.96 cm.

Help!, Riya Balachandran, 2026, mixed media, 36 x 24 in. / 91.44 x 60.96 cm.

HELP! I’m trapped in this painting and I can’t get out- why are you just standing there? I’m not sure how I got here. When I was young I went to the Bronx Zoo, to the Silverback exhibit. A teenage gorilla put his hand up on the glass of the enclosure, across from mine. Later I sobbed.