“Hanafuda” Group Exhibition April 2nd – April 30th, 2022 Haven Gallery is pleased to present “Hanafuda”, a group exhibition focusing on the artistic design and evolved game play of the card deck originating in Japan. Although this style of playing card began in Japan, they made it to many other countries and have adapted to a multitude of fashions and additional playing methods. Their early design incorporated flowers (hence their translation of flower cards) and throughout their history were represented in both standard and geographic styles to reflect the origin of their design work. This card gameplay, which did tie in with gambling, would be banned multiple times throughout Japanese history. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the ban was lifted and “Hanafuda” playing cards flourished in their traditional. The gameplay grew to evolve with advancements in technology, as their inspiration lead to card oriented video games specifically perpetuated by Nintendo. Our “Hanafuda” exhibition asks artists to learn about the history of this cardgame and the explore the expansion of imagery which overtime has grown to include Japanese deities, animals, etc, as found throughout these decks and their associated games. Exhibiting artists include: Gina Matarazzo, Naoto Hattori, Mark Santos, Marta Wit, Aica, Jessica Mulholland, Nicole Grosjean, Amahi Mori, Valéry VECU-Quitard, Nikolas Tower, Emil Melmoth, Lavely Miller
