Of course I had to review the China Tarot published by Lo Scarabeo. Of course. It is an art deck that features the paintings of the classically trained Taiwanese painter Der Jen (德珍; Dé Zhēn), which was her artist pseudonym. Her real name was Ching-Yi Chiang (江慶儀; Jiāng Qìng Yí). [Note: It is the late Der Jen; she passed on in 2012, just 3 days before her 38th birthday.]

She paints in the traditional and romantic Chinese fine arts style called 中國風 (Zhōng Guó Fēng), which translated directly would be “China Wind,” though I don’t know what the best English translation for the style would be. It was always her objective to bring the Zhōng Guó Fēng art style to the international stage, and she most certainly achieved that through the China Tarot deck publication.

Der Jen sought to “write poetry” through her paintings. She intended her work to be poetic and that she accomplished. Just look at the art in this deck. You can read more about her or browse a gallery of her works here, though the website is in Chinese.

When describing herself, she has used Western astrology, saying that although she’s an Aries, she really sees herself as more of a “Capricorn-Pisces mixed soul” (my best attempt at the translation…), an equal yet tenuous balance between rational and emotional.

Continue reading “China Tarot: A Deck Review and the Traditional Chinese Art of Der Jen” →