# Tsunami-Like Barbie Sculptures Wave by Annette Thas Represents a Return to Her Childhood Home By Meghan Young | Published 2014-03-21 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wave-by-annette-thas References: [neatorama](http://www.neatorama.com/2014/03/20/A-Giant-Wave-Made-of-Thousands-of-Barbie-Dolls/) & [sculpturebythesea](http://www.sculpturebythesea.com/media/news/Artist-Interview-Series-Norton-Flavel-Annette-Thas.aspx) Wave by Annette Thas, an artist hailing from Belgium, could be interpreted in many different ways. From a casual observer's perspective, it could represent the inundation of impossible beauty standards towards little girls or the idea of consumer culture. Nevertheless, the sculpture has a much more deeper meaning, at least for its creator. Taking on the form of a giant tsunami made out of Barbie dolls, Wave by Annette Thas symbolizes the recent wave of emotions that overcame her when she visited her family and her hometown on a short trip. Neatorama writes, "Returning home let her breathe in her childhood again, which came upon her like a wave. [Dolls represent childhood](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/inedible-doll) to Thas, so Wave was the result of this personal reflection." It is made up of [4,000 Barbies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/venus-williams-barbie). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.1/10 - Popularity: 8% | Activity: 18% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Youth](https://www.trendhunter.com/youth) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Impossible Beauty Standards:** An opportunity to disrupt the beauty industry by promoting inclusivity and realistic body standards. - **Consumer Culture:** An opportunity to disrupt the retail industry by encouraging conscious consumption and sustainable practices. - **Personal Reflection:** An opportunity to develop innovative ways for individuals to explore and express their emotions through art. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Beauty:** An opportunity for the beauty industry to reevaluate and redefine standards of beauty and body image. - **Retail:** An opportunity for retailers to shift towards sustainable and ethical practices to address concerns about consumer culture. - **Art:** An opportunity for artists to experiment with unconventional materials and themes to create deeply meaningful and thought-provoking works. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Artful Puzzle Block Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-great-wave-off-kanagawa.md) - [Pop Art Legend-Honoring Dolls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keiichi-tanaami-1.md) - [Artful Sculptural Ceramic Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wave-collection-1.md) - [Doll-Inspired Modern Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pavilions-of-wonder.md) - [Interactive Kinetic Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/interactive-kinetic-sculptures.md) - [Iconic Doll-Inspired Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/barbie-the-exhibition.md) - [Artwork-Inspired Building Block Kits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-hokusai-the-great-wave.md) - [Interactive Marine Ecosystem Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marine-ecosystem-sculptures.md) - [Sea Level-Measuring Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/totemy-series.md)