Artist Chris Trueman created the above painting by meticulously arranging the corpses of about 200,000 ants.

Confusingly, he has titled his piece "Self-Portrait With A Gun," although he says it is

an image of his little brother.

The painting has had offers of over $30,000, which is some comfort to Trueman, who had a hard time, emotionally, committing that many little tiny murders.

Maurice Bennett lives in New Zealand, where he takes a blowtorch to piece after piece of toast, lovingly crisping them up just right.

This toast Mona Lisa has undergone changes

over the years, holding various silly objects at various times. It's about twice as tall as a person.

Bennett began his career as a supermarket owner. Maybe he got tired

of seeing all that stale bread hit the trash and decided to inspire us all instead.

Tom Deininger has made myriad of different sculptures from cigarettes, but this life-like, cuddly bunny takes the cake for the combination of disgusting and adorable.

Deininger ripped apart used cigarettes and

assembled the fluff into this fuzzy creation, creating a different kind of plush-toy from the toxic chemicals trapped in filter-fillings.

Scott Jarvie built this chair, among other plastic creations, by assembling around ten thousand colorful straws.

He says he was inspired by trees, perhaps alluding to the fibrous, connective structure that

holds plants together.

In part, the piece is a commentary on our disposable culture. It won the curator's choice prize at the Noise festival in 2008. Jarvie consults on product design,

if you need some help getting crazy.

Maurizio Savini was born in Rome, and apparently he can't get enough pf those hilarious Bazooka Joe comics.

The master chewing artist has assembled all sorts of objects from the iconic, pink substance,

which he notes began to explode around the world as a part of the new American dominance following World War II.

His works have been displayed all over the world, and

sold for as much as about $100,000.

Vinicius Quesada is from Brazil, where he works in that most personal medium, the liquid that keeps bodies alive.

His work ranges from the apocalyptic to the surreal, and packs a

powerful punch. He has been known to piss people off by literally pissing into his art as well.

Talk about visceral artwork.

Bringing this full circle to the power of mortality, Val Thomson paints with the remains of the deceased.

When her brother asked her to create the first work of this kind

from his former brother-in-law's cremation materials, she was initially surprised. But on thinking it over, Val found this request quite natural and even touching.

Since then she has incorporated the

ashes of loved ones into some of her painted works, as a way to preserve the memory, and corporeal echo of life.

To some it might seem morbid, but for those

suffering a deep loss, the works can be a treasured celebration of their beloved family member or friend.