ICONS and FLOW
ICONS and FLOW is a dual photographic exhibition presented by Transformer in partnership with the LINE DC. The show brings together two interconnected bodies of work by Baltimore-based artist Rachel A Sale. In *Icons*, created in collaboration with creative director John Coplen, culturally iconic images are reimagined through gender reversal — not as imitation but as a deliberate disruption of ingrained ideas about beauty, desire, and identity. The series asks what remains of beauty when it is transferred from one body to another, pointing toward a self that exists beyond gender, image, or form. In parallel, *Flow* centers on women who embody resilience as a daily, lived practice through the language of yoga. Each subject is photographed in dynamic, unapologetic poses, accompanied by their own words that reveal how yoga serves as a tool for navigating adversity, reclaiming agency, and sustaining inner balance. Originally created as a series of calendars shared widely during the Women’s March in Washington, DC, this work exists at the intersection of personal ritual and collective empowerment. Together, the two series expand conversations around the human body as a site of endurance, awareness, and lived truth.
When: April 15 through September 2026. The exhibition is on view in the G Level Lobby of the LINE DC hotel.
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 23, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the G Level Lobby. Meet the artists at this free public reception.
PRIDE Celebration: Wednesday, June 10, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on the rooftop at the LINE DC. Lite bites and wine are offered, with a cash bar; the event is free and open to the public. Enter through the G Level Lobby at 2468 Champlain Street NW, Washington, DC, to access the rooftop.
Tickets: Admission to the exhibition and both special events is free and open to the public.
Artists: Rachel A Sale is a visual storyteller based in Baltimore, with two decades of experience capturing human stories across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and beyond. She works at the intersection of commercial production and humanitarian documentary. John Coplen is a Washington, DC–based recovering architect turned real estate agent, whose career has focused on how designed spaces reflect inner lives; as a gay man, he brings a perspective of existing outside expected norms to this debut collection.
About Icons: Developed through a collaboration between John Coplen and Rachel A Sale, *Icons* reimagines culturally iconic images by reversing gender roles. The work exposes how deeply ideas of beauty and desire are conditioned, and how easily they can be reassigned. It is rooted in a personal search for self beyond appearance, pointing toward an identity not defined by gender or form but shared across all of us.
About Flow: Created solely by Rachel A Sale, *Flow* features women photographed in yoga poses that express strength, vulnerability, and presence. Their accompanying words describe how yoga helps them navigate adversity and reclaim agency. The series originated as calendars distributed during the Women’s March in Washington, DC, and each image serves as both portrait and testimony to resilience as a conscious choice to remain present through struggle.
Venue: The LINE DC, G Level Lobby, 2468 Champlain Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. The PRIDE Celebration takes place on the rooftop, accessible via the G Level Lobby.
Note: Artwork from the exhibition is available for purchase; press materials and purchase information can be obtained through Transformer.