American Occupation

Born in the Philippines, Brenda Fajardo (1940) graduated from the University of Wisconsin, United States with Master of Science in Art Education in 1967. She was awarded the Thirteen Artists award by the Cultural Centre of Philippines in 1992 and the Centennial Awards for the Arts. In 2006, she was conferred the lifetime position of Professor Emeritus by the University of Philippines. Fajardo is known for the seminal Tarot cards series in late 1980s. The Tarot cards, which foretell the future, were used as a tool to examine the history of the Philippines, specifically the American Occupation (1898-1946). The cards depict events surrounding the central theme, and through the placement of the cards, and the reversing of certain cards, Fajardo expresses her desire to re-write the history of her country through storytelling.