simiya sudduth 2025

Abstract

The Confluence Tarot is a decolonial reinterpretation of the Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck, rooted in the cultural and ecological landscapes of the Mississippi River Valley. As a mixed-race Black and Indigenous, queer, femme, neurodivergent mother and artist, I created this project to critique exclusionary narratives in traditional tarot and to center communities historically erased from its imagery. Through a developing body of illustrated cards and an accompanying playlist, the work combines visual art, sound, and public practice to create an immersive tool for reflection, divination, and healing. The imagery draws on archival, historical, and contemporary sources to embed local histories, ancestral symbols, and lived experiences into the visual language of the deck. The playlist, spanning hip hop, soul, jazz, R&B, and experimental sound, extends each archetype into the sonic realm, inviting a multisensory engagement with the cards. Emerging from my transdisciplinary practice in public art, sound healing, and community care, The Confluence Tarot operates as both a spiritual tool and a cultural critique. It challenges systems of white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy, and ableism, while affirming practices of joy, rest, and collective liberation. This thesis documents the project’s development and theoretical grounding, positioning The Confluence Tarot as an offering of reclamation, resistance, and transformation.