Castles in the sand

Jenny Rossen has just won a world championship with her Dubai-inspired sand sculpture

Expatriates come to Dubai for money, for an easier life, maybe even a career. Jenny Rossen has come here for the sand. The very strong sand that can pack up and go hard. The golden sand that can stand up and be shaped into castles and flowers and people and animals.

Jenny is a sand sculptor, a master sand sculptor who has just won a world championship.

"Dubai seems like the ideal place for my dream: a giant sand sculpture theme park," Jenny, now back in the city, says, as she works slowly but steadily towards this dream.

You already know Jenny's work. She built that elaborate sandcastle during Dubai Shopping Festival 2002 in Murraqqabat. And she is now helping children to build sand cities in Modhesh Fun City. But sand sculpting, she emphasises, is not just for children.

"My workshops for children are actually workshops for parents, teaching them how they can teach their children to sculpt sand. These days we can buy DVDs, go to movies, visit shopping malls. With all the things we can buy, we've forgotten how to play. Just play."

Sand sculpture, she explains, teaches parents and children to play. And all they need is sand and water. "The sand is about telling stories. A sandcastle is intriguing. You look at it and you start thinking of princesses, of magicians... You ignite your imagination. You realise you can make anything," Jenny says.

Sand sculpture, she points out, is a passion across the world. In countries as far apart as United States and Japan, the Netherlands and China, sand sculpting is acknowledged as an art.

Competitions are held around the world, with sand masters working for hours to create masterpieces.

Jenny herself is just back from the European World Championship sand sculpting competition in Cervia, Italy. She and her cousin Patrick Franklyn from Australia won "1st Place People's Choice" at the competition. Their sculpture was inspired by the city of Dubai and its traditions.

"We made a sculpture called Caravan. It shows a beautiful Arabic castle on the back of a camel. A woman in an abaya is leading the camel. The whole structure stands on a flying carpet," she explains.