design degree Project
The Trickster’s Tarot deck reveals Pamela Colman Smith's obscured legacy, an overlooked queer Jamaican artist. She was the sole artist of the Rider Waite tarot. Despite her role, Smith faced minimal recognition and historical erasure. My project integrates her Anansi Stories into a tarot deck, exploring major and minor arcana inspired by the narratives. Focused on Anansi Stories' characters and values, the deck confronts intentional historical erasure through white supremacist history, educating users on tarot's cultural storytelling potential. The main focus of my capstone project will be the companion booklet that comes with the deck. The booklet includes a detailed guide of each card’s meanings, tarot instructions, and a biography of Pamela Colman Smith.
Sample Tarot Cards
companion Book
This book was created with the help of my Mentor, Clareese Hill. She sent my drafts to the publishing company Abusua Pa, which created the Tazama African Tarot deck. I am working with my publishers to hopefully produce the completed deck and booklet by August 2025.
Senior Year
Junior Year 2023
