iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
Three Kashmiri youths along with one from Uttar Pradesh have been selected to participate in the Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships scheduled to begin in the USA on January 22.
Breckenridge’s International Snow Sculpture Championships presented by Toyota is a world-renowned snow sculpting competition where teams from around the world converge at Breckenridge, Colorado to hand-carve 25-ton blocks of snow into enormous, intricate works of art. Artists are only allowed to use hand tools, creativity, and inspiration to bring their ideas to life. No power tools are allowed. Teams sculpt for around 94 hours over five days to create a temporary outdoor art gallery in historic downtown Breckenridge.
An official invitation from Breckenridge International, organizer of the International Snow Sculpture, has reached the four participants to represent India in Colorado, USA in the competition. The four ice sculptors of India selected for the competition are – Zahoor Din Lone from Pattan village in Baramulla district, Irfan Lateef Mir from the Kupwara district, Tasaduq Hussain Hajam from Magam village of Baramulla, and Mridul Upadhyay from Uttar Pradesh. They will form the Indian Snow Sculpture team. “It is truly an international competition celebrating art, culture, and the transient, beautiful nature of snow,” read the invitation.
Team leader, Zahoor Din Lone said: “We are very happy that we have been selected for International Snow Sculpture Championship which is scheduled to be held in Breckenridge, Colorado, USA. We are thankful to the organizing committee for giving us a chance to participate in this championship. Representing team India is a very big achievement for us and we feel very proud that we are getting this chance from all over Kashmir which will inspire many other youngsters from here. They will also try to participate in such types of international events and make Kashmir proud.”
Lone has led Team India to the Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championship of the US twice earlier, in 2017 and 2018. The team is all set to participate for the third time this year.
Lone expertise in digital paintings and gigantic snow sculptures. He has already made a visible impact in the contemporary art world. This graphic artist from Kashmir’s Baramulla district has established the ‘Callisto Art and Culture’, a group that works to promote the culture of organizing snow festivals in India. Lone pursued his master’s degree in Fine Arts (Applied Art) from Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi. He believes that art is a means of expression and a necessity to cope with uncertainties faced by people living in places trapped in conflict.
This is the 32nd edition of the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado, USA. The teams participating in the championship are: Denmark, Germany – Bavaria, Germany, Great Britain, India – Callisto, Italy, Lithuania, Switzerland, USA – Breckenridge, CO, USA – Vermont, USA – Wisconsin – Snowblind, and USA – Wisconsin – Tomczak. The Carving Week for the snow sculptures lasts from January 23-27, 2023 and the Viewing Week is from January 27-February 1, 2023.
