TRIPTYCH “TREE OF LIFE OF UKRAINE” AS A FIGURATIVE-PLASTIC INTERPRETATION OF THE ARCHETYPE OF NATIONAL CONTINUITY IN CONTEMPORARY SMALL-SCALE SCULPTURE

Abstract

The article explores the artistic project of the triptych “Tree of Life of Ukraine” as a holistic figurative and plastic interpretation of the archetype of national continuity in contemporary Ukrainian small-scale sculpture. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to artistically comprehend the experience of war, the transformation of collective memory, and the formation of a new visual language capable of combining traditional symbolism with contemporary sculptural practices. The image of the Tree of Life is considered as a universal cultural archetype which, in the Ukrainian context, acquires the meaning of historical continuity, spiritual resilience, and the potential for national renewal. The article analyzes the conceptual structure of the triptych, in which roots, trunk, and crown represent different temporal and semantic dimensions of Ukraine’s existence — past, present, and future. Special attention is paid to plastic and technological aspects of the project’s realization, including polychromy, texture modeling, material synthesis, and interactive elements that enhance the semantic depth of the sculptural form. The methodological framework of the research is based on iconographic, iconological, cultural, and comparative approaches. It is argued that the triptych “Tree of Life of Ukraine” forms an authorial figurative and plastic system in which archetypal symbolism is transformed in accordance with contemporary sociocultural and wartime realities. The project functions not only as an artistic object but also as a form of cultural reflection and a visual articulation of national identity under conditions of profound historical challenges.