On the Other Side of Everything (section)

This striking painting by contemporary artist Calida Rawles captures a figure submerged in water, their body partially obscured by dramatic, almost crystalline splashes and ripples. The artist works primarily in shades of blue and white against darker skin tones, creating a powerful visual contrast that makes the water feel both weightless and monumental. Rawles is known for her hyperrealistic depictions of Black figures underwater, transforming what could be simple swimming scenes into something far more profound.

Water in Rawles' work carries deep historical and emotional weight, referencing both the trauma of the Middle Passage and the reclamation of space and freedom. The way the water distorts and fragments the figure creates an almost ghost-like quality, as if the person is caught between worlds or in a moment of transformation. There's something both peaceful and unsettling about the image, the fluid forms freezing mid-motion like sculptural ice formations surrounding the body. The teal-green background adds to this otherworldly atmosphere, suggesting depth and mystery beyond what we can see.