American artists have drawn criticism after making stunning, intricate sculptures by pouring hot liquid aluminium into anthills.

A woman plays with a kitten inside of a line house in downtown Shanghai April 12, 2015. (Photo by Carlos Barria/Reuters)

American actress Kristen Stewart arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

A handler displays newly born American green Iguanas at the Snake park in Chennai on May 27, 2024. (Photo by R.Satish Babu/AFP Photo)

Santa Students practice dancing during the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School workshop on October 16, 2008 in Midland, Michigan. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

A donkey savors warming temperatures after a long winter at the zoo in Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday, April 8, 2015. (Photo by Czarek Sokolowski/AP Photo)

Penitentes, or nieves penitentes (Spanish for “penitent-shaped snows”), are a snow formation found at high altitudes. They take the form of tall thin blades of hardened snow or ice, closely spaced with the blades oriented towards the general direction of the sun.

A model presents a creation by Chinese designer Chen Wen at China Fashion Week in Beijing, China March 29, 2017. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)