Perhaps because it appeals to universal truths, we can’t seem to shake classical mythology. Humans, then and now, are freaks, drawn to stories of trickery and violence.
Not a pleasant revelation, but it may explain why Nymphaeum, Chicago-based artist Olivia Zubko’s solo show at Western Exhibitions, is so beguiling. The show combines our favored legends with humankind’s most sacred pillars: beauty and bathrooms. In this marriage, Zubko’s work is striking, pervaded by the unsettled discomfort of intimacy.
Zubko’s wall sculptures are altars to lavatories, their devotional air echoing historical nymphaeums — monuments consecrated to water nymphs. In the Hellenistic and Roman imperial periods, they were built around natural grottoes, but today, you only need to go as far as a medicine cabinet or gym to witness rituals of allurement.
Olivia Zubko, “Echo’s Basin” (2026), glazed stoneware, glazed porcelain, metal hardware (left); Olivia Zubko, “Circe” (2026), glazed stoneware, synthetic hair
