An artwork made with thousands of footsteps in the snow has captured people’s attention near Finland’s capital Helsinki.

Under the guidance of local resident and amateur artist Janne Pyykko, 11 snowshoe-clad volunteers stamped a series of complex geometric patterns on a golf course. Together, the designs resemble a huge snowflake.

The artwork, which was completed over two days, measures about 160 metres (525 feet) in diameter.

Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said it could be the largest snow drawing ever made in the Nordic country.

“This was a way for me to develop as a human being,” Mr Pyykko, who is inspired by visual effects and has created smaller snow illustrations by himself, told the newspaper.

“I wanted to learn how to inspire people and see if I could guide them.”

Mr Pyykko says the drawing is best observed from the air, but he told Finnish media on Wednesday that mapping out the patterns for people in snowshoes to follow within a set area of the Lofkulla golf course required a great deal of on-the-ground planning.

The work was designed to be temporary, lasting only until the next snowfall or heavy winds erased the footprints.