Tokyo, Japan — 20 November 2025 : Japanese art-director and illustrator Yuni Yoshida gives you a new way to look at design. She takes a standard 54-card deck and turns it into a full photographic art project. You see the result in two versions: one in red tones and one in purple. Both come as a book and as a playable deck. She builds every card by hand, using everyday materials. She avoids digital illustration. She avoids compositing. She builds the card, lights it, photographs it, and lets the photo tell the story.
Yoshida has followed this hands-on approach since the early days of her career. She studied at Joshibi University of Art and Design in Tokyo and entered the commercial world as an art-director. Over time, she formed her own voice. You notice it in her still-life arrangements. You notice it in the way she treats materials. She prefers objects over drawings. She trusts texture, shape and color to deliver meaning. When you look at her images, you see scenes that feel simple at first glance but become more detailed as you stay with them.
This card-deck project shows her process clearly. She chooses basic materials, cuts them, arranges them, and builds a card that exists physically. Then she photographs it. Nothing happens on a screen. Nothing is drawn. The card is real before the photo exists. When you look at the final image, you see small shadows, rough surfaces and color changes that come only from real materials. That honesty shapes the mood of the work.
When you handle the finished deck, you feel that difference. You see red and purple cards that carry the familiar symbols of suits and numbers, but they look and feel new. You see playing cards, but you also see small sculptures. This approach changes how you relate to them. You handle the deck. You read it. But you also notice how she built it. Even a simple number card gains a physical presence.
Yoshida’s larger body of work uses the same idea. She builds scenes the way sculptors build objects. She uses color the way painters do. But she finishes the work with the camera. For her, the photograph becomes the final layer. It freezes the physical setup and turns it into a complete design. When you scroll through her past projects, you see surreal pairings, precise lighting, and unexpected arrangements. You also see humor. She likes to shift objects just enough to make you look again.
This method matters because it pushes design away from screens. In a world filled with digital art, Yoshida shows you that physical construction still holds power. When you see an object that actually existed in space, your eye picks up details that software cannot imitate. Small imperfections from cutting or folding make the image feel human. Those imperfections give her work character. They remind you that someone touched every piece.
Her card-deck project also creates a link between everyday life and fine art. You know playing cards. You’ve used them. You’ve seen them in drawers or on tables. They feel ordinary. When Yoshida rebuilds them, she keeps that familiarity but adds a sense of attention and care. You see a product you can use, but you also see a crafted object. This blend makes the project feel accessible and quiet at the same time.
Yoshida continues to share new work on her social channels. She rarely explains her process at length. Instead, she lets the images speak. She knows you will notice the choices she makes if you slow down and look closely. Her card decks feel like a step forward in her practice. They show a complete cycle of her method: concept, construction, photograph, finished object.
If you follow contemporary photography, still-life design or physical set-building, you’ll find her work refreshing. It strips away shortcuts. It asks you to pay attention. And it reminds you that materials still matter. In an age where almost everything happens on a screen, Yoshida builds her images by hand. You see the difference. You feel it.
Yuni Yoshida : Website | Instagram
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