Contemporary artist Calida Rawles has unveiled a new body of work that marks a significant departure from her recent portraiture, returning to abstract representations of water in her latest exhibition "This Time Before Tomorrow." The show, currently on display at Lehmann Maupin London through September 27, features ethereal paintings that explore water as a charged vessel for memory and transformation.
In this new collection, Rawles moves away from the recognizable faces of her daughters and chosen companions that characterized her previous work. Instead, she focuses on rippling abstractions and bubbling textures, obscuring identifiable features through expressive painterly gestures. The exhibition includes works such as "All is One" (2025), a 48 x 48-inch acrylic on canvas piece, along with "Refraction" (2025) and "A Balance of Dawn" (2025).
For Rawles, water serves as more than a neutral element in her artistic practice. Drawing inspiration from scholars like Christina Sharpe and Saidiya Hartman, the artist considers water to be a powerful site that holds collective memory. Her philosophical approach also incorporates references to texts by notable authors including Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, and Albert Camus, using these influences to examine themes of inevitable change and how transformation can inspire hope.
The artist's creative process begins with photography sessions before she approaches the canvas, combining her hyperrealistic technique with surreal distortions. During this initial stage, she deliberately creates moments of ambiguity in her compositions. Glimmering undulations and air bubbles obscure the figures' bodies, while reflective water surfaces create illusions of doubles and forms that seem to blend into one another.
Rawles' paintings capture figures in suspended moments, whether they are barely breaking through the water's surface or diving deep into pools. Their liquid surroundings appear to embrace their relaxed limbs, creating a sense of weightlessness and surrender. The artist gravitates toward chiaroscuro techniques in these works, using bold acrylics to render deep, murky waters that convey both beauty and mystery.
The exhibition's dark color palette serves as a metaphor for contemporary social and political challenges. Rawles explains her perspective on the current moment: "Personally, I'm grappling with the fractures within the American mythos—once rooted in the promises of democracy, inclusion, and justice. Today, that dream feels increasingly elusive. The melting pot that was once a symbol of unity now cracks under the weight of deportations; truth has become subjective; and justice feels subverted."
The artist continues to reflect on the broader cultural climate, stating: "Amidst this cultural disorientation, I find myself untethered—aware of tectonic shifts beneath both my personal and collective foundations." This sense of instability and questioning informs her artistic inquiry: "What is the artist's role in moments of crisis?" she asks, positioning her work as a response to uncertainty and social upheaval.
The exhibition features several large-scale works, including "When Time Carries" (2025), measuring 72 x 96 inches, and "Through Fury and Beyond Reason" (2025), a 48 x 48 x 2-inch piece. "Musing" (2025), created as a 48 x 60 x 2-inch acrylic on canvas, demonstrates the artist's continued exploration of water's symbolic potential and its capacity to represent both chaos and calm.
"This Time Before Tomorrow" represents Rawles' ongoing investigation into water as a metaphorical space for processing collective trauma and personal transformation. Through her masterful technique and conceptual depth, she invites viewers to consider their own relationship with change, memory, and the role of art in times of crisis. The exhibition remains on view at Lehmann Maupin's London location, offering visitors an immersive experience with these contemplative and powerful works.
