For over three decades, Leonardo Ugolini, an artist from Forli, Italy, has captured audiences with his incredible sand sculptures that usually tend to mix architectural precision with heaps of pure imagination and even in certain cases elements of pop-culture media. Inspired by childhood summers spent building sandcastles and a lifelong fascination with nature and space, Leonardo has turned this medium into a platform for storytelling.
When the COVID-19 pandemic halted global sand sculpting events, Leonardo embraced social media, sharing his craft on TikTok and Instagram. Within weeks, one of his videos went viral, introducing millions of people to his brilliant sand sculptures.