Fate works in funny ways. Fergus Mulvany never thought about sand sculpting while studying fine art in Dublin. Even as a child, he was never drawn to playing in the sand at the beach. But Fergus’ name was randomly drawn from those of hundreds of students to participate in a sand festival held in Holland in 1993. And since that fateful event, he has developed a passion for the gritty stuff, competing all over the world.

Of course he works in other media as well. During winter, Fergus focuses on snow and ice sculptures and works with more traditional materials such as steel, wood, cement and glass. Regardless of the material, Fergus’s creative philosophy remains the same, “I’m guided by an organic process rather than a strict idea,” he said. And of course, sometimes he’s simply guided by fate.