When things collapse Damon Langlois rebuilds.

The seasoned artist from View Royal embraces the unpredictable world of sand sculpting, where each masterpiece is vulnerable to the whims of weather and nature.

His latest endeavour documents the resilience and creativity required to overcome massive destruction.

Rebuilding is B次元官网网址渏ust something thatB次元官网网址檚 in the DNA of a sand sculptor,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲hat makes a sand sculptor is really the ability to stare down risk and abject failure and embarrassment. Anybody who has had something go wrong and it affects them they quit.B次元官网网址�

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Langlois is a five-time world champion in sand sculpting, designer of the tallest sandcastle with the Sand Sculpture Company in 2015, creator of Liberty Crumbling, the most shared sand sculpture on the internet, and has won the Canadian Open in Parksville multiple times.

No destruction stands out more in his storied career than when he was artistic director for a monumental immersive sculpture project in the heart of Kuwait City.

A decade ago, 72 professional sand sculptors set out to carve 30,000 tonnes of sand into a small town. Halfway through the project, a rainstorm hit.

B次元官网网址淚t never rains in Kuwait, itB次元官网网址檚 the desert and we get taken out by a three-day storm,B次元官网网址� Langlois said. B次元官网网址淲e knew this going in, it is just sand and water.B次元官网网址�

After the rains, the team did what came naturally, working more than 20,000 hours to complete the project. Although they lost the top four feet of the walk-through sand palace, it was still an impressive 52 feet when they finished.

As the 10th anniversary approached, Langlois revisited and refined the booklet concept.

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B次元官网网址淚t was a compulsion because here weB次元官网网址檇 made this masterpiece in the desert B次元官网网址� the best sand sculptors in the world and weB次元官网网址檇 made this immersive sculpture park,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淥nly a handful of people only ever saw that or experienced that.B次元官网网址�

As part of the planning, heB次元官网网址檇 created 32 short stories based on original tales for each sculptor to work from and be inspired by.

B次元官网网址淚t was always sort of in my mind as a book,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen you look at sand sculptures, most people only briefly look at them, go, B次元官网网址榦h, thatB次元官网网址檚 amazing,B次元官网网址� take a photograph, and move on.B次元官网网址�

In this project, his simplified versions of the tales would accompany the sculptorsB次元官网网址� works B次元官网网址� sort of like a program. Over the last decade, heB次元官网网址檚 fine-tuned the volume to 300 pictures and 32 shorter versions of the stories from the Arabian Nights, crafting a 276-page art and story book.

As a first step, he launched an online funding platform for Stories in SandB次元官网网址擳he Arabian Nights, which hit its investor goal well ahead of the deadline.

B次元官网网址淭he next step from that is the key. I want a publisher to pick it up,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t needs to get out there.B次元官网网址漴e.B次元官网网址�

Visit for more about the book.

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