River Reishi’s "Surface Tension" Captures Surreal Salon’s Essence, Navigates Ephemeral Realms

Baton Rouge, LA – The Baton Rouge Gallery’s annual Surreal Salon, a vibrant celebration of the uncanny and the imaginative, has once again illuminated the contemporary art landscape. This year, the coveted "Best in Show" award, selected by esteemed guest juror Swoon (Caledonia Curry), was bestowed upon emerging artist River Reishi for her evocative installation, "Surface Tension." The win marks a significant milestone for Reishi, whose work masterfully explores the liminal spaces between reality and the subconscious, the tangible and the ephemeral. In an exclusive interview following the exhibition’s opening, Reishi shared insights into her winning piece, her artistic journey, and the profound resonance of the Surreal Salon experience.

The Genesis of "Surface Tension": A World Unveiled

River Reishi’s "Surface Tension" is a compelling sculpture that draws the viewer into a moment of profound transition. The piece depicts a figure, partially submerged in dark, ambiguous water, with hands outstretched as if striving to break free into our world. This suspended state, poised between two distinct realms, is Reishi’s primary focus.

"From land, the surface of water looks smooth and transparent, almost empty," Reishi explains. "But of course it hides an entire world that is not ours. I have always been fascinated by that threshold. The installation tries to hold that exact moment where the two worlds meet."

The sculpture itself possesses an internal luminescence, a subtle glow that Reishi notes can be elusive under bright gallery lighting but reveals itself as one approaches. This quiet surprise, she believes, adds to the piece’s enigmatic allure. "The piece looks still at first, but there is a sense that something is about to happen," she muses. "Water is often a symbol of life, but it also carries danger and power. Louisiana and the Gulf region know that reality very well. I think some of that tension found its way into the work."

Complementing the central figure is an ephemeral field of black sand and amber, meticulously arranged into intricate patterns. This surrounding element is deliberately transient, designed to shift and evolve with even the slightest vibration. "The black sand surrounding the sculpture is loose and hand-drawn into patterns, so the installation only exists in that form for a short time," Reishi elaborates. "Even small vibrations change it. I am interested in that fragility, in works that cannot quite stay fixed."

The process of submitting "Surface Tension" to the Surreal Salon was itself a testament to Reishi’s artistic philosophy. The ephemeral nature of the sand installation meant that its presence was inherently temporary, a quality that mirrors the very essence of the Surreal Salon’s embrace of the fleeting and the unexpected.

A Deep Dive into the Surreal Salon’s Legacy

Reishi’s connection to the Surreal Salon runs deeper than her recent win. For years, she had been aware of the exhibition’s reputation within the pop surrealist art community. However, this was her first opportunity to experience it firsthand, having recently relocated to a proximity that allowed for physical attendance.

"I had heard about the Surreal Salon through the pop surrealist art community for years, but this was the first time I lived close enough to attend in person," Reishi recalls. "I kept hearing that it felt a little like an unofficial kickoff to Mardi Gras season, that people came in elaborate costumes and that the whole evening had this celebratory, slightly otherworldly atmosphere."

The reality of the event, she found, exceeded her expectations. The immersive quality of the exhibition, where art spills beyond the canvas and into the realm of performance and personal expression, was particularly striking. "What I did not realize until participating this year was that some people actually design their costumes based on the artwork in the exhibition," she exclaims. "That was amazing to see. At one point someone came up to me wearing a costume inspired by my piece, and getting to watch him model it and explain how the sculpture influenced the design completely made my night. It felt like the work had briefly stepped out of the gallery and into the room!"

Swoon’s Influence: A Shared Vision of Bold Creation

The presence of Swoon as this year’s guest juror added another layer of significance to Reishi’s Surreal Salon experience. Swoon, a renowned artist celebrated for her large-scale public installations and intricate portraiture, has long been an inspiration to Reishi.

"I have admired Swoon’s work for a long time, especially her installations and the way she moves between sculpture, architecture, and public intervention," Reishi states. She fondly remembers Swoon’s groundbreaking "Swimming Cities of Serenissima" project at the 2009 Venice Biennale, where a fleet of sculptural rafts navigated the historic canals. "A fleet of sculptural rafts floating into one of the most formalized spaces in the art world was such an unforgettable gesture."

Reishi particularly admires Swoon’s uninhibited approach to art-making, her willingness to carve out space and challenge conventional art world structures. "The act of arriving that way, without waiting for institutional permission, became part of the artwork itself. That kind of boldness has always stayed with me. It is difficult to break into the art world, especially in spaces where voice is carefully selected and curated. Seeing an artist carve out space for herself so creatively was incredibly inspiring."

Furthermore, Swoon’s recent exploration of myth and storytelling through her "Sibylant Sisters" project deeply resonates with Reishi’s own artistic inclinations. "My own work is deeply inspired by myth and storytelling, so it has been fascinating to watch her develop that world, creating her own oracle cards and building a living mythology around the work," Reishi notes. "There is something powerful about artists inventing symbolic languages that people can enter into. So having the chance to meet her and have her encounter one of my installations was a very meaningful moment for me."

The Fluidity of Creation: Embracing Multiple Mediums

Reishi’s artistic practice is characterized by a fluid engagement with various mediums, with sculpture and installation emerging as her primary modes of expression. This adaptability stems from a deep-seated belief that the idea should dictate the material, rather than the other way around.

"I am not sure I feel comfortable in any single medium, and I think that is probably a good thing," Reishi confesses. "I tend to move toward whatever material feels necessary for the idea at hand." Her early artistic development was shaped by practical constraints, including a lack of a large studio space. This led her to explore materials that could expand and transform within a given environment, ultimately disappearing without a trace. "For a long time I did not have a large studio, so I had to find ways of making work that could expand into a space temporarily and then disappear again. Sand, modular sculptural elements, and ephemeral materials all emerged from that reality."

Over time, these limitations have become integral to her artistic language. "Over time those limitations became part of the language of the work itself," she states. "I am drawn to materials that hold a sense of fragility and transformation. Installation allows me to build an environment around the sculpture where those ideas can unfold more fully, where the viewer is not just looking at an object but stepping into a moment or a story."

Echoes of Influence and the Spark of Creation

The formation of an artistic voice, particularly for women, is a journey often marked by the need for audacity and self-assurance. Reishi finds particular inspiration in female artists who have forged their paths with unwavering conviction.

"Voice is an interesting concept to me as a woman, because women often face particular obstacles when it comes to the emergence of voice," Reishi observes. "It takes a certain measure of audacity to say something and commit it to art. In a way you are asking the world to listen. Because of that, I am especially inspired by women who make art without asking permission."

She reiterates the profound impact of Swoon’s "Swimming Cities" project, not just for its artistic merit but for the sheer confidence it embodied. "That gesture has always stayed with me, not only because of the work itself but because of the confidence behind it. The willingness to claim space in a world that does not always easily offer it. Moments like that remind me that voice is not only about what you say as an artist, but about allowing yourself to say it at all. That idea continues to shape the way I approach my own work."

A recent experience that jolted Reishi into a renewed creative fervor was her visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. The figurative ceramics, particularly those from Mayan cultures, left an indelible mark. "Walking through the galleries of figurative ceramics from different regions of Mexico was completely mesmerizing," she recounts. "The Mayan ceramics in particular took my breath away. There is so much spirit in them, such a sense of presence. I encountered one ceramic face that affected me deeply. I have gone back to see it several times now, and each time I leave feeling more inspired to return to sculpture."

Charting a Course for Future Explorations: Iceland and the Ephemeral

Reishi’s artistic trajectory continues to unfold with exciting new projects on the horizon. This summer, she is set to embark on an artist residency at Raf Gallery in Reykjavik, Iceland, a destination that holds particular significance for her. The timing of her residency coincides with a total solar eclipse passing over Reykjavik on August 12th, a celestial event that will undoubtedly inform her work.

"This summer I will be working with Raf Gallery in Reykjavik, Iceland during the month of August," Reishi announces. "A total solar eclipse will pass directly over Reykjavik on August 12, and later that month the city celebrates Menningarnótt, a large citywide festival of arts and culture."

Her exhibition at Raf Gallery will delve into the symbolism of amber, a material that bridges art and mythology, and will also explore the themes of darkness and light in relation to eclipse mythology. "Raf Gallery works with both artwork and Baltic amber jewelry, and I have always been drawn to amber as both a material and a mythological object," she explains. "For the exhibition I will be installing sculpture and a sand installation that tells the myth of the birth of Baltic amber while also reflecting on eclipse mythology and the relationship between darkness and light."

A signature element of Reishi’s installations is their participatory and ephemeral nature. She plans to incorporate sand sourced from local shorelines and, at the exhibition’s conclusion, invite the community to dismantle the installation with her, returning the sand to the ocean as a collective offering. "The sand will come from the local shoreline, and at the end of the exhibition I invite the community to dismantle the installation with me. We carry the sand back to the ocean and return it with a wish, prayer, or intention."

Iceland’s stark natural beauty, particularly its volcanic beaches, has already influenced Reishi’s work. The black sand of Reynisfjara beach served as an inspiration for previous installations. "I love Iceland deeply. The black sand I often use in my installations was inspired by the volcanic beach at Reynisfjara, so being able to create work there during such a rare celestial moment feels very meaningful."

Reishi’s preference for showing her work spans a variety of contexts, from traditional galleries and museums to more unconventional spaces like empty storefronts and city halls. However, her most cherished venues for ephemeral works remain natural environments. "When I lived near the sea in Washington State, friends and I would sometimes build temporary altars from flowers, driftwood, shells, and plants as offerings to the water. The tide would slowly carry everything away. There is something very special about building something together that only exists for that one night."

The Surreal Salon: A Celebration of the Unfolding Moment

Reflecting on her Surreal Salon experience, Reishi emphasizes the palpable energy of the event. "The whole evening had an incredible energy," she states. "The costumes alone were extraordinary, and everywhere you looked there was another small moment of creativity unfolding. Music, conversation, artists reconnecting, people discovering work for the first time. It felt celebratory in the best way."

An unexpected incident during the exhibition further underscored the core tenets of her artistic practice. An accidental bump to the platform holding "Surface Tension" caused the sand to shift, disrupting the meticulously drawn patterns. While initially startling, the moment served as a powerful illustration of the work’s inherent fragility.

"There was also an unexpected moment early in the night. Someone accidentally backed into the platform holding my installation, and when the platform shifted the sand vibrated and many of the detailed designs disappeared," Reishi recounts. "Thankfully the person who tripped was completely fine, which was the most important thing. But in a strange way the moment also revealed something essential about the work. Some people had assumed the sand had been glued down or painted in place. When it shifted, it suddenly became clear that the entire surface was loose and hand-drawn."

Reishi’s response was to calmly repair the installation, re-drawing the patterns as the audience watched. This act of re-creation, in front of onlookers, became a microcosm of the exhibition’s spirit. "For me that moment captured the spirit of the work," she explains. "The installation only existed in that exact form on that particular night. It could be recreated, but it would never be exactly the same again. Everyone there was witnessing something temporary, something that belonged only to that moment in time. And in a way that felt very fitting for the Surreal Salon itself."

River Reishi’s "Surface Tension" stands as a powerful testament to the transformative power of art that embraces impermanence. Her win at the Surreal Salon not only acknowledges her artistic achievements but also celebrates a vision that encourages viewers to engage with the fleeting beauty and profound mysteries of existence.

About River Reishi: River Reishi is a multidisciplinary artist whose sculptures and ephemeral sand installations explore myth, grief, and the mysterious threshold between worlds. Drawing on feminine water deities and ancient storytelling traditions, she works with materials such as sand, amber, and light to create environments that exist only briefly in time.

See more at riverreishi.com and on Instagram @riverreishi.