Man Creates Gigantic Ice Snake Sculpture Realistic Enough To Terrify People [Watch]

A man's giant ice sculpture of a coiled snake is so realistic that it can surely give people, particularly those with ophidiophobia or the extreme fear of snakes, a heart attack.

The realistic artwork was created by an individual who goes by the name @gaolaoyao3899 on Douyin, the Chinese version of the social media app TikTok. Using an ice pick, a chisel, an ax and lots of talent, the man painstakingly carved out the snake's head on the thick ice sheet. He proceeded to sculpt its menacing eyes and the head then mapped out the coil shape of its body.

The video documenting the entire sculpting process has since gone viral on various social media platforms. The clip shows the artist carving each scale on the snake's body with precision. What's even more impressive is the fact that he keeps smiling while doing all the hard work.

One can easily mistake the finished sculpture for a real snake from a distance, especially as the sun shines on its impressively detailed scales.

Thousands of viewers have applauded the sculpture online, with many netizens noting that it belongs in a museum, TimesNow reported.

It's unclear how long the sculpture will survive as the winter winds slow down and temperatures increase, according to Unilad. One thing is for sure, however: It will be immortalized and more people can see it online even after it melts away.

In the past years, there have been debates about how social media and "going viral" are changing art. While a consensus hasn't been reached yet, considering the complexity of the topic, there's no denying that social networking sites have helped a lot of artists reach more people and even find success.

For instance, Felix Semper, a self-taught sculpture artist, became an art sensation overnight in 2018 after his stretchable paper sculptures went viral on social media. At first glance, Semper's sculptures appear solid and trick viewers into thinking they are made of wood or marble. However, the pieces are actually stretchable and can be opened up to reveal a skeleton made of stacks of papers that are held together by glue.

The artist, who reportedly began his art career after being bankrupt during the 2008 financial crisis, now sells his creations for thousands of dollars apiece, according to Insider.