©2025 Rio Sokup
Please do not use image without permission from the artist.
24×36″
Digital Art
In Collaboration with Adrianna Gorsky, Graduate Student at the Center for Limnology and Board member of Friends of Lake Wingra
Fantasy has the power to reshape perception. This piece was inspired by a relatable anecdote Adrianna shared about the unpleasant feeling when aquatic vegetation brushes against your skin underwater. The importance of these plants to the health of the lake biome is paramount, but their beauty can be lost in translation with how we encounter them.
This discrepancy inspired me to create a series of mermaids with flowing hair made of these plants. By turning those slimy, unexpected textures into something playful and enchanting, I hope to transform an instinctive feeling of disgust into one of whimsy. Next time a child squeals from a surprise caress from an aquatic plant, you can calm their nerves by letting them know it was just a mermaid saying hello.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Rio Sokup hails from Rice Lake, Wisconsin and has relocated to Madison for the UW BFA program as an adult student. In her work, she collects the mundane, stirs in a little whimsy, and serves it back with a wink. Striving for playful topics and bold color palettes, she aims to provide a space to relax from the monotony of adult life. Her preferred mediums include sculpture, painting, and neon glass blowing.
Follow her journey on Instagram @Riorevivalarts.
ABOUT THE WATER PARTNER
Adrianna is a Ph.D. graduate student at the Center for Limnology at UW-Madison co-advised by Dr. Hilary Dugan and Dr. Emily Stanley. Her research is centered around the water quality of small urban waterbodies, like stormwater ponds and Lake Wingra. She has also been on the board of directors of Friends of Lake Wingra (FOLW) since 2022. Our mission is to promote a healthy Lake Wingra, through an active watershed community, including supporting water quality monitoring, community outreach, and integrated watershed management (https://lakewingra.org/).
MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUPPORT FROM
