Two talented Greek Australians have brought the iconic hero of Hercules to life in a new art form, creating a sand sculpture in a unique portrayal on the famed character from Greek mythology.

Hercules (or Heracles) has long been a part of Greek storytelling and has crossed into all sorts of artistic forms, whether it be oral tales, written stories, paintings, films, television and now in the form of a sand sculpture.

Peter Papamanolis and Leo Vamvalis combined to create a work depicting Hercules overcoming a three-headed dragon as part of the 2025 Australian Sand Sculpting Championships.

“The theme ‘Heroes and Villains’ drew us back to our proud Greek heritage and our love for Greek mythology,” Vamvalis told Neos Kosmos.

The pair decided on Hercules given his legendary status as a protector of humanity, incorporating him into their piece titled ‘The Triumph of Mount Olympus’.

“Mount Olympus is a sacred place and the home of Olympian gods, where the gods interacted with mortals. It would be a place where villains from the Underworld like Hades would love to conquer and control mankind,” Vamvalis said.

“Hence, our title ‘The Triumph of Mount Olympus’ was born and our design began.”

Papamanolis explained that it tells a classic story of good defeating evil, with the overall piece containing elements of adventure and humour for a well-rounded artwork.

The sculpture took four days to carve and roughly a week’s worth of drawing and planning ahead of time.

“The final piece shows Hades releasing a three-headed dragon to defeat Hercules on one side and the other side showing Hercules defeating the dragon and saving mankind once again,” Vamvalis said.

Papamanolis praised his partner’s work on Hades’ minions, saying it added a bit of comedy to contribute another aspect to the sculpture.

In addition to the double’s competition, Papamanolis also worked on a piece for the singles event that depicted the famed antagonist of Peter Pan, Captain Hook.

The Queenslander with roots from Rhodes stated he wanted to bring some humour to his piece and make it something very appealing and entertaining for kids passing by.

“Captain Hook is quite a humorous looking character. He is sort of a bumbling villain that never wins. Just to make it funnier, I put the crocodile, Tick-Tock, in the back of the clock and he is emerging to maybe surprise Captain Hook,” he told Neos Kosmos.

“We had three days to create this singles sand sculpture. With this one, I did a lot of drawings and decided on a final design and, like with the doubles, I made a small model which I took with me on the day as a reference.”

The art of sand

The two sculptors both shared how they became enarmoured with sand sculpting, with Vamvalis’ journey starting roughly 25 years ago at Rye beach making small works of Thomas the Tank Engine for kids.

“Entering beach sand competitions and winning, I quickly realised it was fun and a great way to express your artistic ability,” the Victorian with roots from Crete and Sparta said.

It was at the same beach that he first laid his eyes on a large sand sculpture, which was being made by the world champion.

“It was over three metres high and I was so mesmerised by the detail in the work he was creating. I could watch him for hours and hours. I even asked if I could volunteer the next year and help him out. That is where it all began for me.”

Papamanolis’ interest in sand sculpting originated from playing on the beach with his children.

“I would find a paddle pop stick and I would start carving something simple and eventually as my tools improved, my sculptures became a little more intricate,” he said.

Both artists agreed that there is something very unique that makes sand stand out as an art form.

“Sand sculpting is like no other medium. It allows you to create small sculptures from bucket size to large sculptures that are up to six metres high with high definition and detail without the high price tag,” Vamvalis said.

Papamanolis shared that he loves the process of creating something out of the sand, finding the cutting and sculpting something out of nothing almost instantly very satisfying.

He added that the temporary nature of sand makes him appreciate the work more and adds to its charm.

“If you were to create a painting or create a sculpture out of marble, it could last for hundreds or even thousands of years,” the Greek Australian said.

Sand sculpting does not last very long at all if you leave it out in the weather or if people get to it. It is a very temporary artform.”

The two sculptors’ works will be on display at Frankston Foreshore, McComb Reserve, for visitors to enjoy until 27 April and also cast their vote for the People’s Choice Award.