Original Serg Graff "Card Sharping" Fantasy Outsider Art, Surreal Poker Scene

This extraordinarily large-scale original painting by Serg Graff titled “Card Sharpening” is a wildly imaginative and deeply narrative work blending outsider art, naïve primitivism, fantasy symbolism, and surreal storytelling into one unforgettable composition.

Executed in acrylic and oil on canvas, the painting depicts an eccentric underground poker tournament taking place inside the abandoned tavern “Poker Face.” Around the vivid green gaming table sit a bizarre cast of grotesque and mythical characters — skeletal gamblers, demons, tricksters, angels, and surreal creatures — all locked in a chaotic psychological battle of bluffing, deception, greed, and chance.

The composition explodes with intense color, layered texture, symbolic imagery, handwritten details, and expressive linework characteristic of Serg Graff’s unmistakable visual language. The work combines dark humor with social satire and fantasy world-building, creating an immersive cinematic scene filled with hidden visual discoveries.

Adding to its uniqueness, the artist created a complete fictional backstory for every character involved in the poker game. This narrative is presented separately on an intentionally aged “ancient papyrus” style document attached to the reverse of the painting, transforming the artwork into a full collectible storytelling object rather than simply a painting.

Presented in a substantial ornate gilt frame that complements the theatrical and eccentric nature of the composition.

Ready to hang.

📏 Measurements: Framed 46" x 34" Painting 36" x 24"

🎨 Artist: Serg Graff

✍️ Signature: Signed on front and verso by the artist

🛠 Condition: Good condition. Frame shows minor cosmetic wear consistent with handling and display.

📦 Shipping: Same day safe packaging from Florida

About the Artist

Serg Graff is a contemporary artist known for expressive outsider-inspired paintings filled with surreal symbolism, fantasy characters, emotional spontaneity, and layered storytelling. His works combine elements of naïve art, dark humor, abstraction, and psychological theater, often creating entire fictional universes populated by eccentric symbolic figures. Each artwork is highly individual and accompanied by the artist’s unique visual narrative language. COA included.

Artist Narrative Included With the Painting

“A poker tournament is taking place in an old abandoned tavern ‘Poker Face’ that started to rust a long time ago…”

The artist introduces an unforgettable cast of characters participating in the final poker hand:

• Skeletonidze (The Bone Man) — a reckless risk-taker known for bluffing and hiding cards beneath his cloak.
• Pigmaster — a cheating card-sniffer with a long snout who secretly studies opponents’ hands beneath the table.
• The Brain — a gambler with an exposed cranium who calculates probabilities while chasing the perfect royal flush.
• Checkers — the dealer addicted to smoking and alcohol who can mysteriously summon spirits from unfinished bottles of gin.
• Clutch — a seductive distraction figure capable of manipulating the game itself.
• The Angel Diablo — a one-eyed deceptive “beginner” who wins constantly using marked cards.

As the final hand unfolds, every player attempts to outwit, deceive, bluff, and manipulate the others while the mysterious Joker appears in the scene.

The artist leaves the viewer with one final question:

“Who will win this time?”

This extraordinary storytelling component is physically included with the artwork on the reverse in the form of a distressed parchment-style document created by the artist.