JUSTICE – The Eleventh Arcana ⚖️

Several months ago, I became deeply fascinated by tarot cards and felt compelled to start illustrating them.
I was especially drawn to the Justice card and decided to create it first. The result turned out well, but not as personal or distinct in design as I wanted. So, I chose not to publish it anywhere and let some time pass to reflect on it more.

A while later, while working for a company, I designed a character who could throw fire from her hands and leapt with bold, dynamic energy. Inspired by that project, I created a new character of my own—this time intending her elemental power to be either water or blue fire. I sketched her several times by hand, once painted her on a large acrylic canvas, and later reinterpreted her in my watercolor sketchbook. That last traditional version became one of my favorites (and I still want to color and render it differently someday).

As time passed, I kept thinking about that character until I decided to merge her with the Justice tarot card. The result was powerful. The pose of the character had a perfect symmetry that resonated with the concept of balance and justice. Instead of the traditional scales, I made the character herself embody the symbol and equilibrium of justice.

The next symbol—the sword—represents reason, logic, and truth.
I pierced it violently through the character’s back, adding a bitter tone of brutality and the painful truth of justice. The bloody sword became a metaphor for a justice that, amid oppression and cruelty, still must be carried out with merciless strength.
It symbolizes ruthless yet necessary justice, a justice unafraid of emotion.

On a psychological level, the piece reflects the inner human conflict with moral judgment:
Is truth always worth the blood and sacrifice it demands?

I also wanted to convey that justice is not only applied to others, but to oneself.
This character embodies someone willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of truth.

Later, I made her hair white to represent purity and impartiality.
Her outfit combines blue and gold: blue for inner peace, logic, and intellect; gold for honesty and the light of truth.
Unlike the traditional Justice card, her eyes are not covered, they are white and blind, challenging the viewer to wonder: Can she truly see?
Does justice always see clearly, or not?

Ultimately, this piece became one of my most detailed and conceptually challenging works, the result of extensive study and reflection.