Reserches 4: Trypophobia, Fear & Visual Triggers in Art

Trypophobia is the strong aversion or discomfort some people feel when confronted with clustered holes, bumps or repetitive patterns. Although it is not recognised as an official disorder in diagnostic manuals such as the DSM-5, research has shown that trypophobic imagery can provoke intense reactions, including anxiety, disgust and even physiological symptoms such as nausea or shivering (Martínez-Aguayo et al., 2018). For artists and designers interested in negative affect, trypophobia offers a compelling case of how simple visual patterns can unsettle perception and emotion.

What is Trypophobia and Why It Matters

The term derives from the Greek trypa (hole) and phobia (fear). Research suggests that the reaction is not arbitrary. Cole and Wilkins (2013) found that clustered images share visual characteristics with dangerous animals and disease cues, particularly high-contrast energy at mid-range spatial frequencies. This means trypophobic imagery may trigger survival-based perceptual mechanisms.

Le et al. (2015) developed and validated the Trypophobia Questionnaire (TQ), showing that irregular, high-contrast clusters provoke stronger discomfort than simple hole patterns. More recently, DiMattina et al. (2024) argued that trypophobia may be linked to an over-generalisation of disgust responses, especially those associated with skin disease and parasitism. These studies suggest that trypophobia is more than an internet curiosity: it highlights how deeply bodily and emotional responses are tied to visual form.

Case Study: Trypophobic Patterns in Contemporary Architecture

A striking example of trypophobic triggers in the built environment was documented by Alkhalifa et al. (2020) in Bahrain. Their study examined parametric architectural façades and urban surfaces that incorporated clustered perforations. When shown images of these designs, many participants reported discomfort, with some experiencing nausea. One participant was so unsettled that they vomited during the survey process.

This case is significant because it demonstrates that trypophobic triggers are not confined to natural objects such as seed pods or honeycombs. They can emerge in contemporary architectural practice through digital pattern-making and computational design. Alkhalifa et al. (2020) argue that architects should be cautious in deploying such repetitive motifs, as they may inadvertently create environments that alienate or distress their users.

For artists, the Bahrain study is instructive. It reveals that perceptual triggers of unease are already embedded in the spaces we occupy. If architecture can unintentionally provoke discomfort, art can intentionally harness these responses to explore the dynamics of fear and perception.

Trypophobia in Artistic Practice

Johnny Plastini - Trypophobia (2020)

Some artists have engaged with clustered motifs in ways that echo trypophobic effects. Yayoi Kusama’s immersive dotted environments, though not explicitly trypophobic, create a dizzying sense of repetition that some viewers find overwhelming. More directly, Johnny Plastini’s Trypophobia (2020), a handmade paper artwork, engages the motif of clustered perforations as a way of materialising psychological trauma. By turning a perceptual trigger into a crafted surface, Plastini demonstrates how art can transform discomfort into reflection (Plastini, 2020).

These examples show that trypophobia is not simply a clinical or scientific topic. It has aesthetic, cultural and ethical dimensions. For some, clustered surfaces provoke deep unease, while for others they can be fascinating or even beautiful. This ambiguity makes trypophobic motifs fertile ground for contemporary art.

Critical Reflections

Working with trypophobic triggers raises important questions. Is it ethical to deliberately provoke anxiety or disgust in viewers? Some argue that such strategies risk exploitation, turning discomfort into spectacle. Others, however, contend that discomfort can open space for empathy, forcing us to confront hidden vulnerabilities in perception.

Another issue is variability. Not all viewers respond equally to trypophobic patterns. A surface that paralyses one person may seem merely decorative to another. This unpredictability makes trypophobia both powerful and difficult to control.

What remains clear is that trypophobia reveals the intimate link between vision, emotion and the body. It challenges the assumption that perception is neutral, showing that even simple patterns can destabilise our sense of self in space.

Conclusion

Trypophobia demonstrates how negative affect can be triggered not by narrative or symbol but by pure pattern. The Bahrain case study shows that these triggers are already at play in contemporary design, often unintentionally. Artists such as Plastini illustrate how they can be explored deliberately, transforming discomfort into a site of enquiry.

For those working in painting, installation or architecture, trypophobia highlights a fundamental question: how can surface, texture and repetition act directly on the body? By investigating this, art can reveal how fear and fascination are embedded in perception itself.

References

Alkhalifa, F., Wilkins, A., Almurbati, N. and Pinelo, J. (2020) ‘Examining the visual effect of trypophobic repetitive pattern in contemporary urban environments: Bahrain as a case for middle east countries’, Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 44(1), pp. 44–51.

Cole, G.G. and Wilkins, A.J. (2013) ‘Fear of holes’, Psychological Science, 24(10), pp. 1980–1985.

DiMattina, C., Lee, A.L.F., Ali, S., Ingram, G. and Wilkins, A.J. (2024) ‘Trypophobia, skin disease, and the visual discomfort of natural textures’, Scientific Reports, 14(1), p. 5050.

Le, A.T.D., Cole, G.G., Wilkins, A.J. and Wilkins, A.J. (2015) ‘Assessment of trypophobia and an analysis of its visual discomfort’, Vision Research, 110, pp. 61–67.

Martínez-Aguayo, J.C., Flores, A., Naranjo, C., Mundnich, K. and Madrid, P. (2018) ‘Trypophobia: What do we know so far? A case report’, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, p. 54.

Plastini, J. (2020) Trypophobia [Handmade paper artwork]. Colorado State University, Fort Collins.