In January 2026, representatives of the Faculty of Art and Graphics of Ushynsky University took part in the 18th International Snow Sculpture Competition, which was held at Harbin Engineering University (Harbin, PRC) - one of the world's largest centers of winter art and ice sculptures within the framework of the international project "Confucius Institute".
The honor of representing Ushynsky University and the Ukrainian art school at the international level fell to the team consisting of the senior lecturer of the Department of Theory and Methods of Decorative and Applied Arts and Graphics Shtykalo Tetyana Stepanivna and 4th-year students majoring in 023 "Fine Arts, Decorative Arts, Restoration" Ambrosimova Lyubov and Shchelkunova Angelina.
Participation in the International Snow Sculpture Competition is an extremely prestigious and responsible event, as it brings together professional artists and young artists from different countries of the world, creating a space for creative dialogue, exchange of experience and presentation of national artistic traditions in a global cultural context.
An author's project entitled "Transformation Cube" was presented at the competition. The composition is based on the initial snow cube as a symbol of absolute potential and "zero point" from which any form, idea or image of the future can emerge. The sculpture focuses attention not so much on the final result as on the process of transformation itself - the moment when formless matter begins to acquire meaning through intellectual and artisanal work. Snow in the project appears as the material of dreams, and creative thinking and skill - as the driving force that reveals the potential hidden in it.
In addition to the competition program, the participants had the opportunity to get to know the culture and artistic traditions of China in a deeper way. The students were involved in a cultural program that included familiarization with traditional cuisine, the basics of calligraphy, and other aspects of China's intangible cultural heritage. Such experience became an important component of their professional and personal development, contributing to the formation of intercultural competence of future specialists in the field of art.
The participation in the 18th International Snow Sculpture Competition in Harbin was a significant event for the Faculty of Fine Arts and Graphics and another confirmation of the active integration of Ushynsky University into the international educational and artistic space.
