OMBLIGO UBICUO
ABOUT
Origin
In 2018, I was having particularly vivid and intense dreams, and I painted the cards of Ombligo Ubicuo as a record of the ones that most caught my attention. At that time, we were discussing our dreaming processes often among friends, and the cards became increasingly generative and communal, nourished by our shared curiosity, conversation, and listening. Excited by what was happening, I wondered what it would be like to create a “dream-deck” to find out how my dreams could be used collectively.
In 2024, after about six years of experimentation with the cards, the deck took shape as a small edition printed in Spanish and English, and began moving around in various circles. Now, in its second edition—a larger printing and trilingual, with a Portuguese version—the deck has kept the same physical form, but I’m happy to report that its uses continue to be in a state of constant evolution and change, thanks to the creativity of those who use it.
Root
Our primordial source of nourishment and connection (ombligo, navel)
Is everywhere (ubicuo, ubiquitous)
The title of the deck, Ombligo Ubicuo, like all the cards, was born from a dream. It refers to the navel of a body that is both individual and communal—a vital center that lives in each of us and, at the same time, in our relationships and in the world.
In times so marked by systems that divide and marginalize, the many worlds of dreams remain fertile, diverse, interconnected, and boundless.
This invites us to ask: how can we continue to care for and enjoy the living, vast territories of our dreaming?
May this question remain open and active, and may Ombligo Ubicuo be one of many invitations to keep playing and dreaming together.
In 2018, I was having particularly vivid and intense dreams, and I painted the cards of Ombligo Ubicuo as a record of the ones that most caught my attention. At that time, we were discussing our dreaming processes often among friends, and the cards became increasingly generative and communal, nourished by our shared curiosity, conversation, and listening. Excited by what was happening, I wondered what it would be like to create a “dream-deck” to find out how my dreams could be used collectively.
In 2024, after about six years of experimentation with the cards, the deck took shape as a small edition printed in Spanish and English, and began moving around in various circles. Now, in its second edition—a larger printing and trilingual, with a Portuguese version—the deck has kept the same physical form, but I’m happy to report that its uses continue to be in a state of constant evolution and change, thanks to the creativity of those who use it.
Root
Our primordial source of nourishment and connection (ombligo, navel)
Is everywhere (ubicuo, ubiquitous)
The title of the deck, Ombligo Ubicuo, like all the cards, was born from a dream. It refers to the navel of a body that is both individual and communal—a vital center that lives in each of us and, at the same time, in our relationships and in the world.
In times so marked by systems that divide and marginalize, the many worlds of dreams remain fertile, diverse, interconnected, and boundless.
This invites us to ask: how can we continue to care for and enjoy the living, vast territories of our dreaming?
May this question remain open and active, and may Ombligo Ubicuo be one of many invitations to keep playing and dreaming together.
Ombligo Ubicuo was created by Jesse Cohen, a visual artist originally from New York and based in Mexico City.
For several years, Jesse has dedicated herself to researching different methods of dreaming and drawing from dreams. Her explorations encompass introspective processes as well as playful and collaborative investigations, and focus on experimenting with dreaming and imagination as creative means for connecting with ourselves, with others, and for opening portals in everyday life to discovery and wonder.
Ombligo Ubicuo is part of a series of editorial projects that seek to create collective spaces of transformation, connection, and creative curiosity through dreaming, play, and drawing.
For several years, Jesse has dedicated herself to researching different methods of dreaming and drawing from dreams. Her explorations encompass introspective processes as well as playful and collaborative investigations, and focus on experimenting with dreaming and imagination as creative means for connecting with ourselves, with others, and for opening portals in everyday life to discovery and wonder.
Ombligo Ubicuo is part of a series of editorial projects that seek to create collective spaces of transformation, connection, and creative curiosity through dreaming, play, and drawing.
Credits
The list of those who participated in and contributed to the creation of the deck is extensive: master printers and designers, paper artisans, friends, and people along the way who dared to play and be curious. Thank you. This project is the fruit of our collective efforts.
Texts and paintings: Jesse Cohen
Design: moho
Art documentation: Aimée Suárez Nezahualcoyotl and Laboratorio Mexicano de Imágenes
Editorial production: Casa Roga
Original cards painted on handmade cotton paper from Arte Papel Vista Hermosa, Oaxaca.
Printed by Casa Roga, Grupo SIP impresores, and Grupo Rebosán in Mexico City in the summer of 2025. The edition consists of 900 copies in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.