Brighton, UK-based illustrator Sophy Hollington makes stunning relief prints, created using the lengthy process of lino-cutting. Inspired by folklore and alchemical symbolism, her work is a blend of modern and vintage aesthetics. Which makes a recent project of hers all the more exciting.
Collaborating with writer David Keenan, Hollington created a tarot deck that is the epitome of cool. Her illustrations accompanied Keenan’s experimental novella, To Run Wild In It, which was loosely structured around the cards of a tarot deck, with each chapter being named after one. Hollington used these chapters as a genesis for the artwork of their namesake card, with the result being the Autonomic Tarot.
“Every time I finished a card I’d send it to David and he’d come back with a really in-depth interpretation of the art, picking out things I’d not even realized were there,” shared the illustrator with It’s Nice That. “It felt so heavy and totally enlightened me to the numinous power of the image.”
“I wasn’t clued up about tarot or it’s users before starting this, so it’s been wonderful to see our deck embraced by that community,” she added. “I’ve heard it really works.”
Check out some of her work in the gallery below:
