Thy Name We Praise (section)

This stunning underwater scene captures a figure in a flowing white dress, suspended in brilliant turquoise water. The fabric billows and drifts around the subject, creating an almost dreamlike quality as light filters through the water's surface above. Artist Calida Rawles is known for her hyperrealistic paintings that explore themes of Black identity, history, and the complex relationship between African Americans and water.

The work references a painful historical reality: many Black Americans never learned to swim due to segregation-era policies that barred them from public pools. Rawles transforms water from a space of exclusion into one of grace, meditation, and reclamation. The figure appears peaceful and weightless, floating in a moment of quiet contemplation. The artist's incredible technical skill brings every ripple and reflection to life, making the water feel so real you can almost feel its coolness.