Carlos Rodriguez sets his friendly, simplified, and joyous subjects into imagined, tropical places. When Rodriguez was a child, he was fascinated by the idea of hearing the immensity of the ocean in a small seashell and still finds it magical today. I Can Hear You Close to Me explores this and embodies the opposite of the anxious and insecure mindset most of us are facing on a day-to-day basis. In these times of imposed distances, Rodriguez imagines all of the things we use every day as seashells, helping us to get closer to the people we miss and love.

On creating this work for ART FOR CHANGE and COPI, Rodriguez said he reflected on "the importance of using art as a source of resonance, in which actions of mutual support resemble the air that propels life and makes the world vibrate….Support your friends and their projects (or any other effort you consider vital), your community, small businesses, and whatever resonates with you.” -Carlos Rodriguez