Wonderful Talent--"Sand Painting" to Tell A Story

[jose v]

Niya Simonova tells stories using sand and light. This story leaves the audience awestruck. It?s both tragic and sweet. By the end there wasn?t a dry eye in the house. Simonova took home the grand prize. Can?t argue with the judges on this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvXVkZysOrc&feature=player_embedded

Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.

Here, she recounts Germany conquering Ukraine in the second world war. She brings calm, then conflict. A couple on a bench become a woman's face; a peaceful walkway becomes a conflagration; a weeping widow morphs into an obelisk for an unknown soldier. Simonova looks like some vengeful Old Testament deity as she destroys then recreates her scenes - with deft strokes, sprinkles and sweeps she keeps the narrative going. She moves the judges to tears as she subtitles the final scene "you are always near".