Sharmaine Foo Jinen

ARCANE: An Inner Architecture is a fashion-led visual project that explores identity through the lens of tarot—not as symbolism, but psychological framework. Each archetype is treated as a state of being, forming a structured journey through the internal self.

The project draws from the idea that identity is not fixed, but constructed through shifting emotional, subconscious and experiential layers. Influenced by theories of the psyche and archetypes, ARCANE translates these intangible states into physical forms through garments, styling and image-making.

Working across photography, film and editorial design, the project builds a controlled visual language defined by atmosphere, materiality and gesture. Lighting, composition and movement are used intentionally to create a sense of quiet tension where each image exists between reality and projection.

Rather than illustrating tarot in a literal or decorative way, ARCANE uses it as a system of structure. Archetypes such as The Fool, The High Priestess and The Devil are reinterpreted as psychological conditions—moments of openness, intuition, entanglement and transformation. These states unfold progressively, forming a narrative that reflects the instability and evolution of identity.

At its core, ARCANE positions fashion as an extension of inner architecture, where the body becomes a site for emotional and symbolic expression. The project ultimately invites viewers to recognise fragments of themselves within each archetype, allowing meaning to emerge through personal interpretation rather than fixed definition.