Floristic Symbolism in Visual Representation of Female Image in Fine Art of Ukraine of the 20th and Early 21st Centuries

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyse the specific features of floral symbolism in the visual representation of female images in Ukrainian art of the 20th and early 21st centuries. The research focuses on the role of floral motifs in shaping the artistic meaning of works, expressing national identity, and conveying the gendered semantics of the female image. The methodological framework combines art-historical, semiotic, and cultural approaches, reflecting the complexity of floral symbolism as a sign system rooted in historical and cultural contexts. The iconographic method was applied to examine the factual, conventional, and symbolic levels of meaning in floral imagery, while the semiotic approach allowed these motifs to be analysed as elements of a structured sign system, including semantic and pragmatic dimensions. Stylistic analysis revealed how floral motifs were artistically embodied across different periods, and contextual analysis traced their connections with social and cultural conditions. Hermeneutic and comparative-typological approaches enabled a deeper interpretation of complex images and a comparison of floral symbolism across different eras. Scientific novelty. The research offers a comprehensive analysis of floral symbolism in the visual representation of the female image in Ukrainian art of the 20th – early 21st centuries. For the first time, the evolution of floral motifs is traced through the shifts in artistic paradigms – from decorative uses to nationally metaphorical interpretations. The study clarifies the semantic and iconographic functions of floral symbols in constructing the female image and identifies features of their artistic application, outlining the mechanisms of their transformation under the influence of sociocultural processes. Conclusions. The study demonstrates that floral symbolism is one of the most enduring and profound means of representing femininity in Ukrainian art, illustrating the continuity of tradition from early modernism to contemporary conceptual practices. In the works of Ukrainian artists, flowers serve as markers of national identity, spiritual energy, and life force. In contemporary interpretations, floral symbolism becomes a communicative bridge between the past and the present, serving as a means to explore female subjectivity, inner freedom, and the cultural distinctiveness of the Ukrainian people.