06/08/2026
The Hand You’re Dealt by Fadhil Fahrianto
my entry for 's design challenge "Heaven or Hell".
pre-order available until September 21st, 2026 at 12pm (noon) CST.
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This illustration explores the dichotomy of "Heaven or Hell" through the structural frame of a traditional double-headed playing card. In card games, a suit’s orientation is symmetrical—no matter how you hold the card, it remains "correct." By utilizing this mirroring mechanism, the artwork frames Heaven and Hell not as distant, but as two coexisting realities bound to the exact same axis.
At the top stands an angelic figure holding a staff of light and grace, representing order, purity, and salvation. Inverted below is its dark counterpart: a demon wielding a gnarled staff. The card framework acts as a metaphor for free will and the gamble of existence. We do not choose the cards we are dealt in life, but we choose which side to face upward. Salvation and damnation are merely a turn of the card away.
Executed in high-contrast white ink on black t-shirt, the piece relies on intricate hatching, distressed texture and halftone to evoke the timeless texture of classical woodcut engravings and dark macabre art. The ornamental floral background halftone that represent the characteristics of each figure the figures in a vintage playing card aesthetic while accentuating the raw, stark contrast.
