UIC Student-Curated Drawing Exhibition Captures 'Cataclysmic Ecstasy and Apocalypse'

The show at UIC's 5th floor gallery features 28 artists navigating the 'total free fall' of a world entering a digital dark age.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 5:39pm

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A new exhibition at the University of Illinois Chicago's student-led 5th floor gallery, 'Cataclysmic Ecstasy and Apocalypse: A Presentation of Drawings,' curated by artist and UIC student Mary Amelia, features the work of 28 artists from around the world who are processing the conditions of modernity through the medium of drawing. The exhibition captures the 'magic' of drawing's unique capacity to express the body, the moment, and the total environment of its creator, as the artists grapple with the 'total free fall' of a world entering a digital dark age.

Why it matters

The exhibition highlights drawing as a powerful medium for artists to access and express immediate lived truths about the modern condition, at a time when the world is facing the upheaval of a 'digital dark age.' The diverse range of drawing styles and perspectives presented in the show offers a window into the consciousness of a generation navigating this uncertain future.

The details

The exhibition features works by 28 artists from around the world, including Chicago-based artist Parker Davis, whose drawing 'Serfing to Survive' depicts humanoid alien robots living in 'rental spaces' and consuming endless AI content. Drawings by the 17-year-old Canadian artist Redbugslove, such as 'WARNING: CANCER,' reveal the inner workings of a generation born into a post-digital world. Curator Mary Amelia has hung the drawings salon-style, often unframed, to create an intimate and urgent viewing experience.

  • The exhibition is on view from March 13 to March 15, 2026.
  • The gallery is open Friday through Sunday, from noon to 5 PM.

The players

Mary Amelia

An artist and student at the University of Illinois Chicago who curated the 'Cataclysmic Ecstasy and Apocalypse' exhibition.

Parker Davis

A Chicago-based artist whose drawing 'Serfing to Survive' is featured in the exhibition.

Redbugslove

A 17-year-old Canadian artist whose drawing 'WARNING: CANCER' is included in the exhibition.

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What they’re saying

“This is what I was born like u chud”

— Redbugslove (Chicago Reader)

“WTFFF!”

— Redbugslove (Chicago Reader)

“magic as human as drawings”

— Parker Davis (Chicago Reader)

What’s next

The exhibition will close on March 15, 2026.

The takeaway

The 'Cataclysmic Ecstasy and Apocalypse' exhibition demonstrates the power of drawing as a medium for artists to grapple with the urgent realities of the modern condition, offering a window into the consciousness of a generation navigating an uncertain digital future.