- Title: UAE-DUBAI ICE SCULPTURES Dubai cafe puts Ramadan on ice
- Date: 29th June 2015
- Summary: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (JUNE 20, 2015) (REUTERS) CHILL OUT COFFEE SHOP VARIOUS OF ICE SCULPTOR MARK RANASINGHE CARVING OUT A RAMADAN KAREEM ICE SIGN PEOPLE DRINKING IN CAFE VARIOUS OF RANASINGHE CARVING 'RAMADAN KAREEM' SIGN VIEW OF ICE CAFE WITH SCULPTURES (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) ICE SCULPTOR, MARK RANASINGHE, SAYING: "Most of the time we change our sculptures here in
- Embargoed: 14th July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Arab Emirates
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3Z2DNM82CWH862BGQJLOJUZYZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As the summer heat soars in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai's sub zero Chill Out cafe is attracting visitors with its cool temperatures and sculptures made of ice.
Drilling his way through his creations is award-winning sculptor Mark Ranasinghe who has carved the sculptures on display here.
"Most of the time we change our sculptures here in Chill Out and it depends on the season, sometimes it can be Ramadan, Eid or Christmas or New Year or any special occasion, we change all the sculptures and we work according to the theme and we do some really creative sculptures here," he said.
The café, located in a Dubai mall, provides customers with winter clothing, including hats, coats and gloves, to keep them warm in the sub zero conditions.
"The real challenge in ice sculpting is the temperature. Sometime you have to work in minus six degrees temperature and you have to work like few hours inside. That's the challenge. Another thing is when you do ice sculptures, unlike the other form of art, like sculpting on clay or marble or painting…you have to be very quick, within a certain time you have to finish a sculpture," said Ranasinghe.
Ranasinghe, originally from Sri Lanka, has won numerous awards for his work in competitions in Dubai, Singapore and Germany.
Firas al Hakeem, one of the cafe's visitors praised Ranasinghe's work.
"It's really very nice, all the designs, including the coffee pot and Ramadan Kareem theme. Everything from the style to the ice ceiling, it's really quite magical," he said in between taking photos near the sculptures.
Ranasinghe and his three-man Sri Lankan sculpting team are set to change the entire ice collection next month, creating an Arabian themed section with horses, an underwater section and a cave section. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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