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A team of Turkish academics secured second place at an international sculpture competition in France with a giant dung beetle crafted entirely from straw, hay and other natural materials.
Professor Ceyhun Konak of Kocaeli University and Professor Bulent Cinar of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University produced the work for the 15th Valloire International Straw and Hay Sculpture Competition, held from June 30 to July 6.
Their sculpture, titled "Dung Beetle/Scarabaeus Sacer," stood out among the works presented by 12 finalist teams from different countries.
The academics set out to develop a concept that matched the character of the materials supplied for the competition. They eventually turned to the scarab, a dung beetle figure regarded as sacred in ancient Egyptian mythology.
Completed over five days, the sculpture captures the beetle pushing a large dung ball while drawing attention to its contribution to nature and its feeding and navigation abilities. A sphere measuring approximately 4 meters in diameter forms the center of the composition and conveys the insect's movement.
Konak said the team worked continuously throughout the competition to bring the spherical structure into its final form.
The award added to the academics' previous success in the same French town, where they had also finished second at an international snow sculpture competition.
"It seems second place is in our destiny," Konak said, while emphasizing that receiving recognition across different cultural settings showed that their work could reach an international audience.
Supported by Kocaeli University and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, the team has represented Türkiye in 12 countries across three continents and has picked up awards in several international competitions.
Konak said producing works for three distinct cultures and receiving positive responses demonstrated the universal reach of their artistic approach.
Cinar said the artists were accustomed to working with different materials under tight deadlines, although shaping the large sphere required sustained effort throughout the five-day production period.
He described the award as an indication that they were carrying out their work successfully, adding that international competitions could also help broaden the perspectives of their students.
According to Cinar, the team's achievements may encourage young artists to look beyond conventional production methods and explore alternative materials and creative environments.
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