Changchun Word Sculpture Park, China, 2019

Ghost Forest, multi block ice sculpture by Wing, Jeffrey Ng, Eric Wang and Edwin Pineda

In December 2019 Wing traveled to Changchun, in China’s Northeastern Jilin Province, to participate in a sculpture symposium. The 4th China Changchun International Ice and Snow Sculpture Exhibition hosted over 100 sculptors from more than a dozen countries to create large, detailed, original sculptures in ice and snow on the massive grounds of the city’s government supported sculpture park. Wing partnered with Jeffrey Ng and his teammates from Singapore, Eric Wang and Edwin Pineda, to create Ghost Forest. Wing’s design of a mother and young orangutang clinging to the last living branches of their decimated rainforest home was created in only four days.

Looking through the polished blocks of ice from the back
Poor air quality, short days, freezing temperatures, and distractions from the media and public all added to the challenge

With our team captain out of commission due to an unfortunate back injury, and one team member carving ice for the very first time, we stacked and sculpted Ghost Forest from ten blocks of ice alongside some of the world’s top professional talent.

Eric Wang of Singapore was a superstar, cutting and stacking the ice
Wang and Pineda used snow, fused to the back of the ice, to create the ghost trees
Up close with the ice
Wing and his young friend Jessie checking out the impressive light show
Director of Education and Outreach at the sculpture park presented Wing with copies of an annual, national publication featuring his profile and an interview from the previous year.
Many of Wing’s colleagues are old friends from the international circuit

Some of the most talented ice sculptors in the world gathered for the event. The other creations in the multi block category were beyond impressive. Sculptors including representatives of many regions of China, Russians from Yakutia, Moscow and Khabarovsk, Japanese, Thai, Malay, Serbian, Montenegrin, Korean, Turkish, and ten Mongolians artists made meals and free time exciting multicultural experiences. Wing was the only native English speaker in the group and one of only two artists from the United States.

A sculpture created by the Russian masters from Yakutia
A Russian masterpiece of balance and beauty. Imagine, the cub weighs over 100 pounds
A collaboration of Malaysian and Russian sculptors
Mongolian masters, the dynamic couple Muujii Muujii and Uuganaa Enkh
Team Mongolia depicts a classic folk tale
The combination of permanent and temporary sculptures created a marvelous spectacle
The gigantic scale of many of China’s snow sculptures defies description
Reminders of China’s Communist ideology were somewhat surprising, considering how familiar, welcoming and open the country is

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