# Sooty Self-Portrait Sculptures The Ash Head No. 1 is Made Out of Shanghai Temple Incense By Meghan Young | Published 2012-05-29 | Unique Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ash-head-no-1 References: [mymodernmet](http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/zhang-huan-head-of-ashes) & [zhanghuan](http://www.zhanghuan.com/) The Ash Head No. 1 is not just a sculpture that is made out of ash, it is a self portrait of the sculptor himself. Utterly impressive, the China-born and New York-based artist Zhang Huan, who is also known for his performances, paintings and photography, has turned [incense ash collected from Shanghai temples](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ripple-x-houseplant) into a large-scale rendering of half of his face. Although he often uses [ash as a base](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ash-blackwood-ashtray) for his [paintings and sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/neojomon-biomorphic-fantme), this takes it to a whole new level. The material that makes up the Ash Head No. 1 was carefully sorted into different piles signifying the texture and lightness to better shape a realistic head. While ash is symbolic for many reasons, Huan sees it as representing "all the dreams, aspirations, all the spiritual longings, all the ideas that people have.” ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.7/10 - Popularity: 81% | Activity: 23% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Unique](https://www.trendhunter.com/unique) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Ash-based Art:** The use of ash as a medium for sculptures and paintings presents an opportunity for artists to explore new and unique artistic expressions. - **Self-portraiture:** The creation of self-portraits using unconventional materials like incense ash opens up possibilities for self-expression and identity exploration in art. - **Symbolic Art:** Artists incorporating symbolic materials like ash into their work offer a way to communicate deeper meanings and evoke powerful emotions through their art. ### Who This Affects Most - **Art and Sculpture:** The art and sculpture industry can embrace the use of ash and unconventional materials to push the boundaries of creativity and offer unique art experiences. - **Spirituality and Religion:** Exploring the use of ash in artworks can create new opportunities for spiritual and religious communities to engage with art and express their beliefs in innovative ways. - **Fine Art Collecting:** The emergence of ash-based art presents a disruptive innovation in the fine art collecting industry, encouraging collectors to seek out unique and unconventional artworks. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sculptural Incense Burners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nuvolino.md) - [Sculptor-Inspired Sleek Bowl Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shou-sugi-ban-collection.md) - [Human Hair-Made Pots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/range-of-pots.md) - [Wooden Identity Art Forms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hughmanity.md) - [Biology-Inspired Porcelain Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shiyuan-xu.md) - [Striking Wearable Sculpture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wearable-sculpture-1.md) - [Pop Art-Style Blocked Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-in-red.md) - [Artfully Sculptural Incense Holders](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aw030001na.md) - [Digital Archetype Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christian-rex-van-minnen-1.md)