The universe rests herself on the earth — her pink and red hair drapes down over our planet and into a star. Filled with many colors and vivid depth, the universe is represented in the Decolonized Tarot deck. “The Universe” card is number 21 of 78 in the deck and part of the eight cards on display in Decolonizing Tarot at the Aperture Gallery in the EMU.
“The Universe” was the first card that Los Angeles artist Cathleen Abalos finished for the tarot card deck she started working on in early 2021 with co-creator Maritess Zurbano. Inspired by and centering their Filipino roots, they sought to create a diverse representation of people and identities in their tarot deck. Older tarot decks like the Rider-Waite deck often only depict White people on their one-dimensional cards.
Depth can be seen in the card “The Lovers.” The two lovers embrace while fires of blue and red surround them. Beautifully intricate tattoos stand out on their skin. The world of nature surrounds them, reflecting the balance between the couple. Compared to the Rider-Waite lovers who stand far apart, Abalos’ art shows great emotion between the perfect pair.
Abalos wanted to add depth to the cards. She “wants them to maintain that sense of magic.” Pulling from Filipino and other inspiring cultures, Abalos creates a fresh new world for the viewer. For the card-making process, Zurbano created lists to get all the details, such as mystical elements and the characters’ clothes, in each card. But Abalos said, “I can pretty much draw whatever I want to; it’s very freeing.” This freedom helped create the unique style of art that is visible in each card.
“I found the color palette really fascinating. I liked the use of a wide range of colors,” Kundai Kapurura, the gallery assistant who helped choose the cards for the exhibit, said.
The color palettes of loving warmth as well as interstellar darkness pulls the viewer into the new tarot world. Abalos is obsessed with lighting in her drawings which helps create the depth and colors they wanted for the deck. She is very proud of this full body of work. “Each of them tells a story. For me, it’s like ‘why do I want this card to look like this,’” Abalos said. The stories within each card helps expand their world.
The entire Decolonized Tarot deck has been heavily supported on Kickstarter and Backerkit, doubling their $25,000 goal. The deck will eventually be released in a physical format and in a book, but right now the deck is up for preorder. Another aspect Abalos was proud of was the animated cards that were created for a digital release that add even more detail and aspects to her art.
The UO Visual Arts team wants to show more diverse artistic voices through exhibits like Decolonizing Tarot. “I know being at a predominately White institution sometimes it’s a little bit more difficult to navigate and maneuver as students of color, but hopefully they can find something that they can attach themselves to,” Kapurura said. “Or maybe it’s just the art that they like, and students of all identities can relate to loving an image or loving how something looks or makes them feel.”
Centering the experiences of diverse backgrounds is important in the exhibit and the tarot deck, but anyone can thoroughly enjoy the art presented. “I want the [tarot cards] to see into a different world,” Kapurura said. “I want a good feeling to emanate from the cards.” The exhibit will continue through Oct. 29 in the Aperture Gallery of the Erb Memorial Union, but you can see more of the deck on their website.
Decolonizing Tarot is located at the Aperature Gallery in the Erb Memorial Union on the University of Oregon Campus until October 29. Artist Cathleen Abalos references Filipino culture through her artwork by creating tarot cards that celebrate diversity in all areas of life. (Mary Grosswendt/Emerald)
