Hyper-Realistic Self-Portrait Sculptures

Communication by Cang Xin, an artist born in Suihua, China, and based in Beijing, could easily be mistaken for performance art rather than the sculpture it actually is. Incredibly lifelike, it is a striking self-portrait of the artist himself. Lying prone on the ground with arms outstretched, the sculpture sees Xin licking the ground.

Essentially, Communication by Cang Xin is symbolic on two levels. On one level, it represents the curious nature of people by focusing on the childlike habit of sticking everything and anything in their mouths. On the second more spiritual level, it revolves around "an internalising of knowledge and a religious communion with place/person/thing," according to the Saatchi Gallery website. As a shaman, Xin is in tune with his surroundings.