Sign Language: Why a Symbol Doesn't Have to Be Immediately Clear

When we see an artwork or a modern visual concept, the first reaction is often the same: "What does this mean? These lines and colors?". And that is natural, because a symbol by its very nature is not supposed to be just a picture. It does not copy reality; it encodes an idea.

If you look back at history, it turns out that we have never lived in a world of "direct meanings." As far back as the Trypillia era and the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia or Egypt, people decorated pottery and walls with drawings and geometric shapes. This was not merely everyday decoration, but an entire system of concepts about the structure of the Universe, the changing of the seasons, water, and the sun. Ancient beliefs and world religions have always spoken to us in the language of signs: the Tree of Life, the solstice, or astral signs conveyed profound ideas about the cosmos.

Ukrainian embroidery is the closest and most striking proof of this. Our ancestors never embroidered ornaments "just for beauty." Every rhombus with a dot, every cross, or swirling "endless" pattern (bezkonecznyk) was an encrypted message, a talisman, and a formula for a rich harvest. To read a vyshyvanka, one needs to know the language of its geometry. Similarly, medieval heraldry required knowledge of a strict code: the color of a coat of arms, the image of a tower, a lion, or a lily signified courage, loyalty, or river trade.

The human brain is always looking for simple and familiar images, which is why encountering something new causes confusion. But the beauty of symbolism is that it calls for a dialogue. It does not give a pre-chewed answer right away; instead, it invites us to stop and learn the story behind every line.

The ability to read these hidden meanings is like knowing another language, one that makes the world around us so much more fascinating.