Melbourne Ice Sculptor Kevin Kapusi Starow Brings Melting Art Form to Frankston Fire Festival
Kevin Kapusi Starow, a Melbourne-based ice sculptor, will demonstrate his craft at the inaugural Frankston Fire Festival this Saturday, carving intricate ice sculptures live for the public. Starow has built a career spanning decades, commanding fees up to $15,000 per commission and competing internationally at events like the World Ice Art Championships in Alaska and festivals in China. His work highlights a declining profession—he estimates only five ice sculptors remain in Melbourne compared to at least 20 in the mid-1990s.
Kevin Kapusi Starow is a professional ice sculptor based in Melbourne who will perform live ice carving at the Frankston Fire Festival on Saturday, offering the public a rare chance to see his work for free. The article profiles his career trajectory, which began with carving Santas for Christmas displays while working as a chef and has evolved into custom commissions for weddings, corporate events, television advertisements, and films. Starow competes internationally, including at the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Harbin Ice Festival in China, where he has created elaborate pieces ranging from humorous sculptures (an ice toilet with a skeleton reading a newspaper) to classical subjects (Neptune riding a lobster). He emphasizes the ephemeral nature of ice as central to his artistic vision, noting how light refraction through melting ice creates evolving visual effects. Starow expresses concern about the profession's decline and hopes to teach ice sculpting at TAFE to preserve the tradition.
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- Sydney Morning HeraldCenter
Chipping away at it: the artist with burning passion for ice sculpting
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