Artist

Brenda V. Fajardo

Born 1940 in Manila, Philippines. Died 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines.
Brenda Fajardo was not only an artist but also an arts educator and an active member of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and the feminist artist collective KASIBULAN. Throughout her life, she championed the role of art as a mirror to society, and dedicated her practice to amplifying the voices of the marginalized, particularly migrants and women, whose stories are rarely inscribed in official histories.
Fajardo’s artistic practice centers on social issues concerning women and the colonial history of the Philippines. Among her most iconic works is the Tarot Card Series, in which she reimagines the European tradition of tarot within the historical and mythological contexts of the Philippines, while addressing urgent contemporary concerns. At the heart of this series is the complex reality faced by Filipino workers, especially women, who are celebrated domestically as bagong bayani (“modern-day heroes”) yet often endure harsh and exploitative conditions abroad.

Brenda V. Fajardo, Tarot Card Series: Pilipina, Not Documented in Taiwan, 1993
Courtesy: Brenda V. Fajardo estate with Tin-aw Art Management