By Honorary Reporter Ivana Alzaga from Mexico
Photos = Ji Dae-young 

Ji Dae-young since 2015 has won eight awards for his sand sculptures.

Ji Dae-young, a sculptor based in Korea, who has created sand sculptures for 15 years, said he found his passion for the art nine years ago while visiting the Beyond the Sand Art Festival in Australia. 

"This festival boasts top quality featuring the world's best sand sculptors. The first sand sculptures I encountered there blew me away and I wanted to make them," he said. "I passed the introductory test from the noted American sand sculptor Kevin Crawford in Australia and have since made sand sculptures in Korea and many other countries."

Ji has featured his works in 14 festivals and exhibitions in Korea, four in Taiwan, seven in Australia, and one each in Denmark and Florida. He has received eight awards since 2015, including a second-place finish Down Under at the Sand Sculpting Championships and first place at the 2019 Haeundae Sand Festival. 

As the first Korean to win a prize in a world competition for sand sculpture, he created works for this year's Haeundae event that went viral. I saw his works on Instagram and decided to interview him via email on June 4.

How long does it take you to finish a sand sculpture?
It depends on the size, quality and type of sand. Smaller works take one or two days and large ones from five to 10 days. In general, each work takes about a week.

What do you like most about such sculptures?
Originally I saw a variety of sculpture genres like snow, concrete, relic and metal. I was especially attracted to sand because it is considered both a raw and finishing material. I love to surprise the audience by moving countless grains of sand on the beach to create shapes and shadows.

Ji Dae-young created the main sculpture for this year's Haeundae Sand Festival in Busan.

What was your most challenging sculpture?
It was the 15 m-large main sculpture at this year's Haeundae Sand Festival. In other countries, at least four to five sculptors usually collaborate to make a work of this size, but I was one of just two Korean sculptors who did 3D sculptures at this festival.

It was physically hard due to its height and width and it took more than 20 days as wild cats and birds constantly broke it down. I had to fix it every day. The main sculpture comprises a character, architecture and logo. Many visitors liked it and it became a photo zone at Haeundae Beach.

What is your connection with the Haeundae Sand Festival?
I've been participating for six years in this energy-filled festival where a wonderful city and beautiful beaches coexist. And while creating works here, I feel that as the region develops, the quality of the festival's works will, too, to form good synergy.

Ji works on a sculpture in Australia, 2019.

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.