Since the creation of his first ice-cream sculpture in 2012, US artist Jourdan Joly has made dozens of colourful plastic ice-creams from his Atlanta studio. The very first piece was titled Best Friend Special: “It was sort of an inside joke I had with somebody about how you have to be best friends to share a dessert treat,” he says. Inspired by fake food items – which are popular in Japan – he creates his works by casting urethane plastic in a silicone mould. Since the resin sets fast he has to work quickly. “It’s always great to see the pieces materialise before my very eyes,” he says. “I like the slight surreal aspect to it – it always makes people wonder how it was done. For me as an artist this feels like success.”

Joly is also an enthusiast of non-plastic ice-creams. “I enjoy trying all the creative flavours people are coming up with. I think the most memorable was from OddFellows Creamery in New York that had an amazing miso cherry ice-cream. Otherwise my go-to ice-cream is green tea matcha.”