Kiki and Bouba is a dual artwork inspired by a psychological experiment conducted by V.S. Ramachandran at the turn of the century. The experiment presented two abstract shapes—one spiky, the other curvy—and assigned them the nonsensical names Kiki and Bouba. Remarkably, 90% of people instinctively matched the sharp shape to Kiki and the rounded shape to Bouba, revealing an arresting connection between sound and form.

Kiki and Bouba exposes a connection between sound, shape, and meaning, showing how even the most abstract symbols carry an intuitive understanding.