The Communion of Saints Card Deck is a passion project illustrated by Decree Design Co.® for the purposes of honoring the tradition of Byzantine Iconography and the use of playing cards as an artistic medium.
It started with a simple idea – illustrate a playing card of St Patrick for his feast day. I was then encouraged by fellow designers to design a full deck. That idea grew into a passion project, where each card displayed reverent art in the palm of your hand. Art honoring the spirit of iconography surrounding saints of the undivided church – Christianity’s first millennium.
Within the design industry, playing cards have become a medium to display themed artwork. The goal of this project was not to create something to be used in card-play, but to display reverent artwork.
Every piece was designed to be tiny remembrances of the holy ones who lived, obeyed, and participate in the divine life of God. Drawing heavy inspiration from Eastern iconography, I wanted the face cards to unveil a unique beauty that our artificial intelligence saturated world couldn’t replicate.
The church’s saints speak across the ages. Their testimonies inspire us towards holiness. Over centuries, playing cards developed their own distinct design traditions. Combining the two came naturally.The intent was to present each subject with the consideration and care they deserve.
Lastly, there was a deep desire to honor the Icon Writers throughout the centuries and perhaps even open an audience’s eyes who might otherwise not have ever known of its beauty.
This artwork would not have been possible without the masters of the craft–both past and present–passing down such a rich and beautiful artistic tradition.
