ICONS
“ICONS” is a photographic exhibition by Baltimore-based artist Rachel A. Sale and Washington, D.C.-based creative director John Coplen, presented by Transformer in partnership with the LINE DC. The series reimagines culturally iconic images by reversing gender roles—not as imitation, but as a disruption of familiar ideas about beauty, desire, identity, and representation.
The work asks why certain bodies and images are read as beautiful or powerful, and whether those qualities can be transferred from one body to another without losing their force. Rooted in a search for an identity beyond appearance, “ICONS” considers what remains beneath gender, image, and form: a shared human awareness. The exhibition is presented alongside Sale’s related series “Flow,” which explores resilience, embodiment, and self-definition through portraits of women practicing yoga.
When: April 15 through October 18, 2026.
Venue: G Level Lobby, the LINE DC Hotel, 2468 Champlain Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20009.
Artists: Rachel A. Sale and John Coplen.
Opening Reception and Meet the Artist: Thursday, April 23, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the G Level Lobby of the LINE DC.
Pride Celebration: Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the rooftop at the LINE DC. The event includes light bites, wine, and a cash bar and is free and open to the public. Guests should enter through the G Level Lobby to access the rooftop.
Tickets: Price not available.
About Rachel A. Sale: Sale is a Baltimore-based visual storyteller whose work combines commercial production with humanitarian documentary. Over two decades, she has photographed human stories across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other regions, creating visual narratives for mission-driven organizations and brands.
About John Coplen: Coplen is a Washington, D.C.-based former architect and real estate agent whose work is informed by the relationship between designed spaces and inner life. As a gay man, he brings personal insight into experiences outside conventional expectations and helped organize this debut collection.