Amara Eke: Everyday I’m Shuffling
September 3 - 26, 2026
First Thursday Art Walk - Thursday September 3rd, 5-8pm
Centering Black and queer figures, Eke reimagines the traditional tarot and its symbolism with playful, galactic motifs.
Artist Statement
Everyday I’m Shuffling explores the intersection of spirituality, identity, representation, and self-discovery through the visual language of tarot. In 2021, while completing my BFA at Penn State University, I created an original 78-card tarot deck as my senior thesis. Grounded in extensive research into the history, symbolism, and visual traditions of tarot, the deck draws inspiration from the Thoth and Rider-Waite traditions while reimagining their imagery through my own perspective.
At the center of this work is a desire to expand who is seen within contemporary spiritual imagery. I intentionally place Black and queer individuals at the center of my tarot cards, creating representations that affirm identities and experiences that have historically been marginalized or excluded from Western spiritual and artistic traditions. As tarot, astrology, and other forms of contemporary spirituality continue to grow in popularity, I am interested in questioning why their visual languages so often remain predominantly white and limited in representation. This exhibition marks a return to a body of work that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For me, representation within spiritual art is deeply personal. I believe imagery has the power to shape how we understand ourselves and our place in the world. Historically, Black people have often been excluded from the Western art canon or depicted through dehumanizing and restrictive roles. My work seeks to disrupt that history by imagining Black figures not as peripheral subjects, but as mystics, angels, divinities, seekers, and protagonists of their own spiritual narratives.
Through this work, I invite viewers to see themselves within a visual language of spirituality that is expansive, affirming, and inclusive. Ultimately, I hope these images inspire a sense of empowerment and encourage viewers to approach their past, present, and future with greater confidence, authenticity, and clarity.