a_visuelt

Project Overview

a_visuelt is a digital project I created on Instagram.
I’ve long been interested in language, words, and expressions, and was fascinated by the connections between idioms across different languages and cultures.

Through the project, I discovered that many languages share similar idiomatic expressions. I collected idioms and grouped them into categories such as love, positive thinking and hope, wisdom, fear, and courage. I also interacted with people on Instagram and with friends from other cultures who speak different languages than my own, creating visual interpretations of the idioms which I shared on the account.

Each post featured an illustration or GIF along with the idiom written in both English and its original language, accompanied by a short explanation of its meaning and music that reflected the idiom’s tone and cultural background.

Through this project, I learned a great deal — for instance, that some idioms are deeply rooted in the culture they originate from. One example is the Hindi expression “rai ka pahad mat banao”, which translates to “don’t make a mountain of mustard seeds.” The idiom originates from Indian marketplaces, where the abundance of spices often appears like miniature mountains, and it means “don’t escalate a minor issue into a major one".

Example of an idiom I shared: “Clavo saca otro clavo” (Spanish), which translates to “one nail pulls out another nail.” This idiom is usually used in a romantic context, meaning “the best way to get over a breakup is to find a new partner.” I paired it with the Spanish song “La nueva y la ex” by Daddy Yankee, which explores exactly this theme — making it a fitting match for the visualization. The illustration shows a sad person observing a new couple in love, a scene that perfectly captures the sentiment of the idiom.

Two of the instagram-posts on a digital sheet.

Overview map of idioms from around the world, where I categorized and selected which idioms to illustrate.