Unplugged Souls: When the Glow Dims the Room

Two days ago, I went to a birthday party with my sister. It was meant to be a simple celebration, laughter, food, the kind of joy you can’t quite capture in pixels. But while the room buzzed with conversation and clinking glasses, she sat glued to her screen. Not posting. Not even smiling. Just… elsewhere.

It struck me. She was physically present, but emotionally absent, lost in a world we’ve all come to accept as normal. And that’s the danger: you never notice, and you never agree that this is what this thing is doing to you.

That quiet discomfort is exactly what ‘Unplugged Souls’, a solo virtual exhibition by Sketchgodd, dares to confront. Presented by Sokari Art Gallery, the show invites you to step back and witness the emotional erosion caused by our hyperconnected lives, especially through social media. It’s not a warning. It’s a mirror. It doesn't shout. It reveals.

In five powerful mixed-media paintings, Sketchgodd turns everyday moments into haunting truths. A family dinner where eye contact is replaced by endless scrolling. Friends physically together but mentally miles apart, each illuminated by the cold glow of their devices. Individuals caught in the performative loop of digital identity, slowly forgetting who they are offline. These aren’t just paintings. They’re confessions. They are fragments of your life. Of mine. Of us.

Ghost Dinner by Sketchgodd

The goal of the exhibition is not to demonize technology, but to awaken us. To hold space for the subtle grief of missed connections, for the conversations that never happen, for the joy we trade for dopamine loops. Sketchgodd’s layered textures and deeply personal narratives urge us to pause, to really pause, and reflect.

Unplugged Souls asks: How often do we actually see the people around us? When was the last time you sat without checking your screen? And what have we lost in this constant chase for digital connection?

It’s not about guilt. It’s about awareness.

So take a moment. Step into this exhibition not just as a viewer, but as a participant in the conversation it stirs. Breathe. Walk. Visit. Laugh. Cry. Connect.

Because maybe the first step to finding ourselves again…is putting the phone down. View Exhibition