Mafalda Serrano works and lives in Lisbon.
She is a Portuguese designer, author, radio producer and presenter. Her early studies in classical music, art history, communication and costume design are the main roots of her professional path.
During the 90’s, - after she graduates in Design at the Institute of Arts and Design (IADE) in Lisbon - she started presenting programs about art history, contemporary aesthetics and visual culture at Antena 2, the radio station of the Portuguese public broadcast (RDP) oriented to contemporary, jazz and classical music.
Her programs are focused in historical and contemporary themes as: History of Art, Arts and Education and Art Therapy. Her work in the media is cultural issues always devoted to the discussion of visual art, symbolism and myth concerning the historical legacies of the Mediterranean basin.
Since 2000 she produces and presents other media projects and exhibitions about multiculturalism and the post-colonial artistic production inside the Portuguese ex-colonies of Africa (Angola, Cape Vert, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé e Príncipe, Mozambique), Asia (Goa, Macau, Timor Lorosae) and Brazil.
During 2008 she presented and co-produced The Fascination of Ulysse assigning the official program of 2008 - European Year for the Intercultural Dialogue in collaboration with architect and art curator Luis Serpa. Involving international artists, authors, writers and curators, this program implemented a cycle of correlated art exhibitions and conferences sponsored by the Portuguese Radio and Television (RDP-RTP), the Institut Franco-Portugais in Lisbon and the Portuguese Ministry of Culture.
Her designs and collaged books are developed upon her interest in visual symbolism, image archives and collections of medieval illuminated manuscripts. She joins photography, illustration and collage inspired by ancient printing and visual representation techniques.
Mafalda Serrano started her studies about traditional divination and image reading in the early 80’s.
Her personal approach to the cards is inspired by history of art, poetry and symbolism focusing in the legacy of the Medieval and Renaissance cultures. Following her researches in artistic studies, comparative mythology, ancient iconography and divinatory symbolism, she published Light of the Goddess - an “art & tarot set” centred in the arts and myths of Renaissance and the Classical world.
Mafalda is a Reiki Master (Mikao Usui traditional lineage) and Yoga practioner that envisages Tarot as a unique tool for self-empowerment and meditation.
Mafalda Serrano gives individual Tarot classes, workshops, distance courses and professional consultations on a regular basis. She is one of the co-founders of the Portuguese Association of Playing Cards (in formation), member of Le Tarot – Associazione Culturale (Italy) and the Association for Tarot Studies (Australia).
