"Mm. It could." It's a fun suggestion. He's only a little hesitant because it could inspire others to copy, and make statues that perhaps aren't quite so distant. But maybe sometimes he needs to be a little less fixated on himself, especially considering making a statue recognizable would take work that few here are really skilled enough for.

"Or you could go for an even more interesting trick and make elaborate icicles inside the grand hall." That would be pretty, it would be confusing, it would be fun, and in theory it wouldn't backfire. In theory.