Artist Makes Playing Card Collages To Display Scenes Of Love, Loss, And Other Emotions

Broken King

Born 1989 in Southampton, United Kingdom – Elmo Hood is a self taught contemporary artist specialising in collage and pop art styles. Elmo currently resides and works out of Brisbane, Australia.

More: Elmo Hood, Instagram h/t: boredpanda

Act Of Kindness

Elmo’s work first came to notoriety in 2013 when he created a collage out of two playing cards. The piece was a viral hit and secured a number of international exhibitions along with a firm celebrity fan base. His first playing card pieces focused on portraying human emotion through the cards using a variety of methods to achieve this effect such as cutting and burning the materials.

The Joker And The Queen

His work is now best described as a fuse between pop art and mixed media. Elmo uses a variety of materials combined with different painting and collage techniques to build his compositions. With his playing card pieces Elmo uses the collaged cards for his colour pallet whilst sticking to darker tones for the outlines and shading.

Heads Will Roll

Kings and Queens feature heavily in his work along with references to philosophy, the paranormal and religion.

Love 2020 (Covid)

According to Elmo: “This is a collection of some of my playing card collages I have made over the years.

I try and stick to using materials found within the border of the playing card which I use to tell a story by rearranging, burning or adding small paint elements. My collages display scenes of love, loss, kindness and revenge.

I made my first collage of this type in 2013.”

Tears Of The Clown

Beat As One (K&K)

How Cheap Is Your Love

Tragedy Of Two

Seven To Heaven

Fix You

Broken Queen

Beat As One (Q&Q)

Beat As One (K&Q)

Shattered Love