Organic Tarot: Works by Tya Alisa Anthony

Enigmatic and gently poignant, Anthony’s artworks draw on the imagery and tradition of tarot—illustrated cards used for divination and fortune telling. Using the storied practice of tarot reading to interpret life’s journeys, Anthony illuminates and reframes the personal stories of Depression-era Black sharecroppers to reimagine them as icons of divine and mystical power. 

Combining archival photos with botanical imagery from the artist’s own childhood memories, Organic Tarot explores the often-hidden stories of people of color depicted in historic photographs, images that captured only a fragmented moment of a rich and complex life.

Anthony’s works are displayed alongside selections from Temple of Flora (1799-1807), representing points of narrative investigation and offering opportunity to explore histories untold.

About the Artist

Tya Alisa Anthony is an interdisciplinary artist and curator who explores themes of social justice, human rights and identity. Combining photography, collage and sculpture, Anthony reimagines histories to create autonomous spaces for bodies of color. Anthony received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design and is a Redline Contemporary Art Center Residency Artist alumna. She has exhibited in Baltimore, MD and the Colorado region at venues including Center for Visual Arts and Leon Gallery, and is currently a TANK Studios artist. Based in Colorado, Anthony is the executive director and founder of Mahogany Vu Contemporary Art, a thriving online gallery from the LGBTQ artist community and artists from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, and serves as a board member for Leon Gallery and Tilt West.