ETHNIC MOTIFS OF THE “TREE OF LIFE” IMAGE IN THE WORKS OF CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN ARTISTS AS A PATH TO CULTURAL IDENTITY IN THE EUROPEAN SPACE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2415-8151.2025.38.1.31Keywords:
tree of life, ornament, tapestry, carving, mosaic, jewelry art, Ukrainian identity, ethnodesign, semiotics, decorative and applied arts, symbolismAbstract
Purpose. The purpose is to identify and explore how the ethnically rooted motif of the “Tree of Life” is represented in contemporary Ukrainian artistic practices and how it contributes to the construction and articulation of Ukrainian cultural identity within the European context. Methodology. An interdisciplinary approach is applied, combining semiotic analysis of the “world tree” symbol in Ukrainian tradition; iconographic and comparative analysis of works by Alina Haieva (Garden of Life project, in collaboration with AGA.TE), Olha Piliuhina (tapestry series), Anzhela Yurkivska (multilayer vytynanka), as well as reflection on the monumental mosaics Tree of Life and Boryviter by Alla Horska and co-authors (1967, Mariupol). Results. The invariants of the image are outlined (vertical axis, root–trunk– crown as a tripartite world model; motifs of flowers, birds, fruits; symmetry/mirroring) and their contemporary reinterpretation is revealed: (a) in graphics and jewelry forms; (b) in textile art; (c) in paper cutouts; (d) in the monumental art of the 1960s. Scientific novelty. A typology of contemporary representations of the “Tree of Life” in Ukrainian art is proposed, combining ethnographic origins and media transformations. The study demonstrates how the symbol functions as an “identity operator” – a means of cultural continuity, memory, and European communication. Practical relevance. The material can be used by designers for creating exhibitions, educational programs, and contemporary design products that work correctly with national motifs; by art studios for developing collections based on local heritage; and by communities for practices of commemoration and cultural diplomacy.
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