PUBLISHED : 9 Feb 2024 at 04:25
A team of Thai ice sculpture artists were runners-up at the Sapporo International Snow Sculpture in Japan on Wednesday with their artwork inspired by the Mekong River’s mystical nagas.
The Thai team participating in the four-day event on Hokkaido Island consisted of Kusol Boonkorbsongserm from the Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok and two independent artists, Amnuaysook Srisook and Kritsana Wongtes.
Their sculpture, Naga Fireballs, drew inspiration from Buddhist art and northeastern Thai reverence for nagas (serpent-shaped deities).
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said the team’s sculpture represents Thai culture and traditions in a world-class event while also helping promote tourism in the kingdom.
Mongolian artists won first place for their Warmth creation, which portrayed a fox sheltering a human baby from the cold weather in a cuddle. The event organiser described the sculpture as “warming the heart, with a calm feeling even when it is cold”.
Securing the third position was a team of South Korean artists from Daejeon, with their sculpture Harmony.
Thailand has participated in the competition since 1991, and in that time, ice-carving teams from Thailand have won top three prizes on nine occasions and were crowned grand champions for three consecutive years, a record no other country has beaten.