Polylactic acid on stone. 40×24 cm
In most English-speaking countries the OK gesture (or OK sign or ring gesture) denotes approval, agreement, and that all is well or “okay”. In other cultures though, it has negative, offensive, financial, numerical, devotional, or political meanings (same as all the other hand signs in my collection).
In some regions of the world, both the positive “OK” and the negative forms are practiced, which can lead to confusion over which meaning is intended so additional context clues, such as posture or facial expression are used.
The gesture’s “O” shape stands for “zero” meaning “worth nothing” in France and Tunisia opposite to Japan where that gesture is used to symbolize money and in this context the finger’s circular shape represents a coin.
In some Arab countries , the shaking of this sign represents the evil eye and is used as a curse or a threat, sometimes in conjunction with verbal condemnation.
In the communication used by scuba divers when underwater, the OK sign is specific in its meaning that “everything is OK” as regulated by the Recreational Scuba Training Council.
The chef’s kiss is a sign that means “perfection” in the context of food.
In yoga the gesture is known as chin mudra “the seal of consciousness” when the palm is face down, or jnana mudra “the seal of wisdom” when the palm is face up.
In countries such as Turkey, Greece, parts of Germany as well as in the Middle East and many parts of Latin America, the gesture may be interpreted as a vulgar expression resembling a human anus, referring to sex, either as an insult “You are an asshole”, or a homophobic reaction to a symbol of homosexuality and the act of sodomy.
In Brazil it can be synonymous with giving someone the middle finger.
In most English-speaking countries the OK gesture (or OK sign or ring gesture) denotes approval, agreement, and that all is well or “okay”. In other cultures though, it has negative, offensive, financial, numerical, devotional, or political meanings (same as all the other hand signs in my collection).
In some regions of the world, both the positive “OK” and the negative forms are practiced, which can lead to confusion over which meaning is intended so additional context clues, such as posture or facial expression are used.
The gesture’s “O” shape stands for “zero” meaning “worth nothing” in France and Tunisia opposite to Japan where that gesture is used to symbolize money and in this context the finger’s circular shape represents a coin.
In some Arab countries , the shaking of this sign represents the evil eye and is used as a curse or a threat, sometimes in conjunction with verbal condemnation.
In the communication used by scuba divers when underwater, the OK sign is specific in its meaning that “everything is OK” as regulated by the Recreational Scuba Training Council.
The chef’s kiss is a sign that means “perfection” in the context of food.
In yoga the gesture is known as chin mudra “the seal of consciousness” when the palm is face down, or jnana mudra “the seal of wisdom” when the palm is face up.
In countries such as Turkey, Greece, parts of Germany as well as in the Middle East and many parts of Latin America, the gesture may be interpreted as a vulgar expression resembling a human anus, referring to sex, either as an insult “You are an asshole”, or a homophobic reaction to a symbol of homosexuality and the act of sodomy.
In Brazil it can be synonymous with giving someone the middle finger.
In most English-speaking countries the OK gesture (or OK sign or ring gesture) denotes approval, agreement, and that all is well or “okay”. In other cultures though, it has negative, offensive, financial, numerical, devotional, or political meanings (same as all the other hand signs in my collection).
In some regions of the world, both the positive “OK” and the negative forms are practiced, which can lead to confusion over which meaning is intended so additional context clues, such as posture or facial expression are used.
The gesture’s “O” shape stands for “zero” meaning “worth nothing” in France and Tunisia opposite to Japan where that gesture is used to symbolize money and in this context the finger’s circular shape represents a coin.
In some Arab countries , the shaking of this sign represents the evil eye and is used as a curse or a threat, sometimes in conjunction with verbal condemnation.
In the communication used by scuba divers when underwater, the OK sign is specific in its meaning that “everything is OK” as regulated by the Recreational Scuba Training Council.
The chef’s kiss is a sign that means “perfection” in the context of food.
In yoga the gesture is known as chin mudra “the seal of consciousness” when the palm is face down, or jnana mudra “the seal of wisdom” when the palm is face up.
In countries such as Turkey, Greece, parts of Germany as well as in the Middle East and many parts of Latin America, the gesture may be interpreted as a vulgar expression resembling a human anus, referring to sex, either as an insult “You are an asshole”, or a homophobic reaction to a symbol of homosexuality and the act of sodomy.
In Brazil it can be synonymous with giving someone the middle finger.
In February 2017 a 4chan user posted: “We must flood Twitter and other social media websites claiming that the OK hand sign is a symbol of white supremacy…..” as part of a campaign dubbed “Operation O-KKK”. The satirical association of the gesture with white supremacy derived from the assertion that the three upheld fingers resemble a ‘W’ and the circle made with the thumb and forefinger resemble the head of a ‘P’, together standing for “White Power.” This troll action has been performed with the intent: “Leftists have dug so deep down into their lunacy. We must force [them] to dig more, until the rest of society ain’t going anywhere near that shit.”
In September 2019 the ADL added the OK gesture to its “Hate on Display” database.The listing notes that some white supremacists have begun using the OK symbol “as a sincere expression of White Supremacy”.