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H2O

A Deep Dive Into the Nuances of Water

In the heat of summer, water offers survival, refreshment, danger, and inspiration. As we flock to the nearest pool or shoreline, our July exhibition presents a cooling font of artwork centered on this essential element. Through painting, mixed media, video, collage, digital art, and generative AI photography, this month’s artists tackle rising tides, racial inequities, plastic pollution, body image issues, and existential questions by examining their relationship to H2O.

Kirsten Bengtson-Lykoudis

Kirsten Bengtson-Lykoudis (she/her/hers) serves as staff writer, archivist, and curator for NOT REAL ART. She enjoys rambling through NRA’s vast digital archive of contemporary artworks and getting to know the people behind them. After growing up in the Twin Cities, Kirsten darted between Florida, Russia, Sweden, New York, France, Italy, the Aegean Islands, and Washington, DC, before landing in Richmond, Virginia. A former New York gallery director, photographer, caterer, student of Russian literature, devout polyglot, and creative-nonfiction writer, she is currently plotting her next trip to Greece.

A Deep Dive Into the Nuances of Water

Welcome to First Friday Exhibitions, a curated monthly series featuring leading lights of the creative world. Curated by writer and former New York gallerist Kirsten Bengtson-Lykoudis, our July 2025 exhibition features work from Abieyuwa Eigbobo, Cheyenne Avila, Christy Savage, Claire Maske, Crystal Marie Garcia, Devan Horton, Kelly Eden, Kevin K. Shah, Kristen Thiele, Locust, Maria Pazos, Rachel Moser, Rae Sheridan, Rebecca M. Fullerton, Ruthy Valdez, Tara Patrice, Tiantian Ma, Whitney Alyssa Parker, and Xxavier Edward Carter.