About Rhea Pappas
Capturing Strength, Serenity & Storytelling
Rhea Pappas is an internationally exhibited commercial, editorial, and fine art photographer. Best known for her evocative underwater portraiture and dynamic lifestyle imagery, her work explores themes of strength, introspection, and weightless tranquility.
Whether submersed in water or shooting on location, Rhea brings a refined, painterly eye to every composition—transforming split-second moments into timeless, narrative-driven art.
The Vision & Craft
Water has long served as Rhea’s ultimate canvas. In her celebrated underwater series, she uses liquid environments to create a liminal space where light, movement, and human emotion converge. Rather than portraying water as a space of danger or breathlessness, her portraits frame it as a weightless place for stillness, reset, and safety. The portraits frequently feature women underwater, using light and fluid movement to convey calm, strength, and inner reflection. Water acts as a unifying element, emphasizing the body’s connection to nature.
Beyond the water, her expertise extends seamlessly into:
- Commercial & Editorial: Clean, immersive lifestyle imagery tailored for brands, publications, and commercial campaigns.
- Fine Art & Exhibitions: Gallery-collected series exploring human resilience, environmental connections, and ethereal aesthetics.
- Portraiture & Beauty: Striking headshots and intimate portraits that emphasize authenticity and natural expression.
From high-concept creative direction to complex, technical underwater lighting setups, Rhea approaches every project with creative precision, warmth, and adaptability.
Background & Philosophy
“To step into water is to enter an in-between state—a place where you can pause, reset, and see human strength in a completely new light.”
Rhea is a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD, BFA 2008) and is based in the Twin Cities, with a studio in Lowertown St. Paul. She specializes in underwater photography, with particular attention to lighting, movement, and human emotion below the surface. The work is meant to create a sense of calm, introspection, and comfort.
With years of technical background and a passionate commitment to visual storytelling, Rhea collaborates closely with commercial clients, art directors, and private collectors. Her fine art exhibitions have been showcased in galleries throughout the region, captivating audiences with imagery that balances serene stillness and powerful emotion.
Exhibitions & Community
- Reflections — Lanesboro Arts Exhibition Gallery, Lanesboro, Minnesota, 2018. A solo show of the underwater portrait series, on water, introspection, and connections to natural water resources.
- Beneath the Surface — Ice Box Gallery, Minneapolis. Large-scale prints of women floating and posing underwater, exploring weightlessness, vulnerability, and feminine power.
- Coffman Art Gallery — University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 2012. Underwater photography shown with work on aquatic themes and environmental design.
- Minnesota Marine Art Museum — included in regional programs of aquatic-focused visual art.
- Lowertown St. Paul — gallery walks, open studio tours, and photography workshops. Rhea co-founded the monthly First Friday Lowertown Art Crawl.
Television profiles, including Minnesota Original, are listed on the Shows page.
L’Etoile Magazine, Best Artist, 2010
This young art photographer won our hearts in 2010 not only with her captivating work but also with her sparkling personality and ambition. A 2008 MCAD grad that now studios out of Lowertown St. Paul, Rhea Pappas upped her game in 2010 with a series of gallery showings that made us swoon. Her unique brand of underwater photography touches on themes of female empowerment while still maintaining a dreamy, girlish grace. Striking and often times heartbreaking, Pappas’ work plays on the personalities and stories behind her models, carefully capturing their emotions through movement and light. In addition to her stunning artwork, Pappas impressed us further this year by continuing on her streak of educating others through photography workshops as well as co-founding the monthly First Friday Lowertown Art Crawl. We see so much bright promise in this chick, we’ve got to wear shades.
— K.I., L’Etoile Magazine
Services & Capabilities
- Commercial & Brand Campaigns (Lifestyle, Product, Beauty)
- Underwater Portraiture & Fine Art Commissions
- Editorial & Creative Direction
- Advanced Post-Production & High-End Retouching
Let’s Create Together
Whether you are seeking custom fine art prints for your space, planning a creative commercial campaign, or looking to book a unique portrait session, Rhea is available for local and travel assignments.