From the creative mind of designer Natalia Silva comes CALAVERAS DE AZÚCAR, a custom deck of playing cards inspired by the Day of the Dead – a traditional Meso-American holiday dedicated to the ancestors; it honors both death and the cycle of life.
Consistent with Natalia’s other decks, the CALAVERAS DE AZÚCAR Playing Cards are charming, colourful and vibrant. On the design inspiration, Natalia said,
“Calavera De Azúcar” is a skull made out of sugar, which is used to decorate Day of the Dead altars. These sugar skulls are very colorful and whimsical, not scary at all. I absolutely love the Sugar Skull style used for the Day of the Dead.
The symbolism of a sugar skull is rooted in the decoration around the eyes. Flowers are meant to symbolize life, while cobwebs symbolize death. The skulls are designed to be bright and cheerful, being a celebration of the life that once was. Natalia continued,
Sugar Skulls are a traditional folk art from Southern Mexico used to celebrate Day of the Dead. I really love Folk Art. I designed 2 Russian Folk Art decks and now I think it’s time for me to explore some new different cultures and traditions.
The first time I ever saw Sugar Skulls was about 8 years ago, when I came to USA (to language school in Los Angeles) to study. As a foreign student, I stayed with a host family. They were a very nice and traditional Mexican family. I was very inspired by their culture and colorful sugar skulls. I think that sugar skulls are very similar to my design style (colorful and simple). So, I want to show my appreciation for the vibrancy of Mexican culture.
The skulls are prominently featured on the tuck box and the card backs are adorned with colourful flowers, leaves, and grapes. These nature elements are also found on the aces and the custom court cards. The well thought out vibrant colours gives the deck a dynamic look.
There will be two standard editions available, the Black and the Blue Edition. Both will be printed by the USPCC and pledge starts from $14. Also on offer are the limited edition: Purple, Green and Red decks printed by MPC. Check out the project page for more info.
