Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 462,195 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,242 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 320,990 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,242 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 320,990 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,213 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 462,195 cutting edge ideas.

Keyboard Skulls

Maurice Mbikayi Transforms Computer Peripherals Into Human Figures

— July 23, 2011 — Art & Design
If you think the black keys on a keyboard are reminiscent of shadows, then you and Maurice Mbikayi are on the same wavelength. The South African artist uses keyboard keys as a sculpting media and has created various silhouette-inspired works integrating the keys in unique ways.

Maurice Mbikayi also creates other thought-provoking pieces with South African politics being an ongoing theme to most of his works. The creative artist has worked in photography, mixed media, sculptures and even performance art.

Implications - Consumers love seeing familiar objects recontextualized into artwork because it challenges them cognitively to reevaluate their relationship to those items. Corporations looking to garner media attention for their wares may consider a publicity stunt where they use their products to make art.
Trend Themes
1. Recontextualizing Familiar Objects - Corporations can take advantage of consumers' love for seeing familiar objects recontextualized into artwork by incorporating this trend into their product design or marketing campaigns.
2. Integration of Unconventional Materials - Artists like Maurice Mbikayi are using unconventional materials such as keyboard keys to create unique and thought-provoking sculptures, presenting an opportunity for industries to explore new ways of incorporating unconventional materials in their products or processes.
3. Art as Medium for Social Commentary - Maurice Mbikayi's focus on South African politics in his artwork highlights the power of art as a medium for social commentary, inspiring industries to explore similar approaches in their messaging or branding to connect with a socially conscious audience.
Industry Implications
1. Art and Design - The integration of unconventional materials and recontextualization of familiar objects by artists like Maurice Mbikayi can inspire the art and design industry to push boundaries and explore new artistic expressions.
2. Consumer Electronics - The incorporation of keyboard keys as a sculpting media by Maurice Mbikayi presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the consumer electronics industry to experiment with unconventional product designs or artist collaborations.
3. Advertising and Marketing - The use of art as a medium for social commentary, as showcased by Maurice Mbikayi, can provide a disruptive innovation opportunity for the advertising and marketing industry to create impactful campaigns that resonate with a socially conscious audience.
5.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness