CONCEPTUAL KEY

Bird

• Ultimate symbol that expresses the relationship between Heaven and Earth;

• In Celtic stories, birds played the role of messengers/assistants to the gods, being responsible for transporting messages between the various worlds;

• The Hindu religion establishes an analogy between these beings and the human soul, which migrates from body to body, with the last flight reflecting the arrival at the nest. This expresses itself as the moment in which the soul is finally freed from this cycle of transmigration;

• Birds, in correlation with butterflies, not only symbolize the souls of the dead, but also express their freedom and immortality, now free from all earthly bonds;

“He who is brave is free” – Lucius Seneca

Leaves share the same symbolism as plants and are associated with prosperity and good luck, so the image translates into an allegory between their nature and the human soul.

Therefore the symbolism of the work “Dawn” is quite transparent. When associated with birds and themes of flight, plants illustrate the continuous ascension of beings in the process of reaching their ideal (something verifiable in various stories and/or myths).

As a bird is a metaphor for the human mind and spirit, by reaching the sky, it becomes freedom. A dualism is created with the plant, an element fixed to the terrestrial plane, but whose intention to free itself is reflected in its nature, reflected in its growth and progressive distancing from the point that holds it.

On the other hand, snails represent a continuous cycle of rebirth, associated with the liberation of the being – be it physical or spiritual – so the relationship between life and death is directly associated with their ability to extend or retract their tentacles. This cycle is further emphasized by the spiral shape of its shell, which was a natural illustration of evolution for the ancient Egyptians.