El Quinto Sol is a body of illustration and design work exploring Mesoamerican mythology and cosmology through the structure of a fully custom playing-card deck.
I began the project through research into codices, archaeological material, historical sources, and Mesoamerican visual traditions, looking for ways to translate the relationships between gods, directions, elements, symbols, and cycles into a contemporary visual system.
The resulting work spans 56 custom cards, including court cards, number cards, Jokers, suit symbols, lettering, card backs, and packaging.
The images were developed through drawing, watercolor, illustration, and digital preparation for print. No generative AI was used in the creation of the artwork.

Learn more here