FINE art student Imy Hare has carved out a name for herself in the chilly world of ice sculpting, winning a top prize in an international competition in China.

Imy, from Great Bentley was part of a four-strong Nottingham Trent University team invited to take part in the International Snow Sculpture contest at Harbin.

They braved temperatures as low as -30C, perched on top of a 4m-high block of ice, while they painstakingly chipped away to turn it into a wintry work of art.

Imy, who spent her 21st birthday in China, sharpening tools to carve the solid ice, said: “We were all beginners. None of us had ever done it before.

“We were involved in two different competitions. The first was at Harbin University itself and we managed to get one of the second prizes.

“The other was in the international competition where we were up against professionals and people who had been doing it all their lives.

“We were by far the youngest and most most inexperienced team out there, but we did really well and won one of the best creativity prizes.”

The team had three-and-a-half days to create its sculpture, Antithesis and Time for a Change.

Part of it showed a tap left running into an overflowing bucket, surrounded by Greek columns.

The opposite side portrays a stone wall which is starting to fall down and an empty wooden bucket.

The other shows a melting globe, in a hand, surrounded by power stations.

Imy said: “The first symbolises how some people don’t have access to clean, fresh water.

“The second represents global warming, but suggests we still have the power at our fingertips to save the planet.

“We knew we needed to create some strong designs that everyone could relate to.”

The team flew to China just before Christmas.

Imy returned home this week after a 26-hour flight.

Despite the team’s success, keen sailor Imy said she preferred water to ice and couldn’t see herself specialising in ice sculpting after she graduates.

She added: “To be honest I don’t think so after how cold it was! But it was a fantastic experience and I’m really glad I’ve done it.

“Now I’m looking forward to the summer ... and a bit more warmth.”