“WOMEN OF WATER, WOMEN OF EARTH”
A Solo Exhibition by Natalie Karpushenko
Presented by The Untitled Space
Opening Reception
June 25, 2026 | 6pm – 9pm
Exhibition On View
June 25 – July 17, 2026
The Untitled Space
45 Lispenard Street, New York, NY 10013
The Untitled Space is pleased to present “WOMEN OF WATER, WOMEN OF EARTH,” a solo exhibition by award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and environmental artist Natalie Karpushenko, opening June 25 and on view through July 17, 2026. The exhibition marks the artist’s debut solo exhibition in the United States and follows her selection as the recipient of The Untitled Space’s 2026 Solo Exhibition Open Call Award.
Bringing together a selection of works from across Karpushenko’s celebrated photographic practice, “WOMEN OF WATER, WOMEN OF EARTH” explores the profound relationship between women and the natural world. Through evocative images that merge reality and myth, the artist examines themes of feminine strength, transformation, environmental stewardship, and humanity’s enduring connection to the earth and sea. Across oceans, forests, rivers, and elemental landscapes, women emerge not as observers of nature, but as extensions of it—embodying the rhythms, power, vulnerability, and resilience found throughout the living world.
Born in Kazakhstan, Karpushenko has developed an internationally recognized practice that explores the interconnected relationship between humanity, nature, and the ocean. Known for her ethereal imagery and immersive visual narratives, she creates photographs that blur the boundaries between the physical and spiritual worlds, inviting viewers into spaces where the human form becomes inseparable from the landscape itself. Her work is rooted in a philosophy of reconnection—with nature, with the self, and with the elemental forces that shape life. Working exclusively in natural environments, Karpushenko creates photographs that are entirely real—without the use of AI-generated imagery or digital manipulation. Her work is rooted in direct experience, transforming authentic encounters with nature into images that feel both extraordinary and deeply human.
An avid freediver and ocean conservation advocate, Karpushenko frequently works in remote marine environments and has spent years photographing and swimming alongside whales and other marine life. These experiences profoundly inform her artistic practice, which often centers on water as both a symbolic and literal source of life. As the artist states, “My art is a result of my desire to reconnect with the natural world—especially through water, the element we all came from.”
The exhibition features works spanning Karpushenko’s ongoing exploration of the feminine figure within nature, presenting images that reflect both personal transformation and ecological interconnectedness. Created in natural environments and emphasizing authenticity over digital manipulation, her photographs encourage viewers to reconsider their relationship with the ecosystems that sustain life. Through carefully composed imagery that is both intimate and monumental, Karpushenko creates a visual language that celebrates beauty while inspiring environmental awareness.
Over the past decade, Karpushenko has exhibited internationally throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. Her solo exhibitions include “Where Dreams May Come” at Costello Carlo V in Monopoli, Italy (2024); “Ocean Breath” at Drifter in Bali, Indonesia (2023); “Ground Seesaw” in Seoul, South Korea (2022–2023); “Rising Woman” in Bali, Indonesia (2020–2021); and “Dancers” in Astana, Kazakhstan (2019). Her landmark exhibition “Ground Seesaw” attracted more than 117,000 visitors, featured over 200 artworks, and occupied over 1,000 square meters of exhibition space. Her work has also been featured internationally in Barcelona, Melbourne, Miami, Paris, and New York.
In 2025, her film “Water Drop” was presented at Lincoln Center in New York. She also contributed imagery for a large-scale mural inspired by United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the UN Decade of Ocean Science, supporting global awareness around ocean conservation.
Karpushenko has received numerous international honors, including First Prize in the SUGi x NAVA Photo Contest in the “People & Nature” category (2025), Professional Winner at the Fine Art Photography Awards for “Planet of Garbage” (2020), recognition from the PH Museum Project for “Plastic and the Sea” (2019), and First Place in the Gold Star Award for “A Human and a Force of Nature” (2019). Her work has been featured in leading international publications including Vogue France, Vogue Germany, Harper’s Bazaar, Nowness, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Forbes Russia, and Esquire, among others.
“I am thrilled to introduce Natalie Karpushenko’s award-winning photographic art to the American market with her debut solo exhibition at The Untitled Space,” says curator Indira Cesarine. “Through breathtaking imagery that bridges the worlds of nature, humanity, and imagination, Karpushenko has developed a distinctive visual language that resonates across cultures. We are honored to present this important introduction to her work in the United States following years of international exhibitions, critical recognition, and artistic achievement.”
Through “WOMEN OF WATER, WOMEN OF EARTH,” Karpushenko invites viewers to reconnect with the natural world and contemplate humanity’s place within it. The exhibition offers a timely reflection on beauty, vulnerability, and our collective responsibility toward the environment, affirming the power of art to inspire awareness, empathy, and change.
Contact: The Untitled Space, info@untitled-space.com
Socials: @untitledspaceny @nataliekarpushenko