Kseniya Simonova is a 24 year old Ukranian artist who creates an amazing art experience using a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and her incredible "sand painting" skills.
Kseniya's amazing interpretation of Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII:
Another amazing artistic performance by Kseniya:
Amazingly, as mentioned in this report/interview, she's been doing this for less than a year. She only started after being a victim of the credit crunch. (For some reason the video won't embed here.)
Kseniya won Ukraine's Got Talent 2009 and deservedly so. I could watch her for hours.
UPDATE: I found this Kyiv Post article with the following information about her.
Kseniya started working with sand art in the winter of 2008 while working at her husband's theater (although she had previous artistic training).
According to the article, few expected Simonova to win "Ukraine's Got Talent" including Kseniya herself.
But she persisted for the good cause she had in mind when auditioning for the show. Simonova said she wanted to win to help a gravely sick little girl, Nika Fesenko, who was just over one year old at the time. "No doctor in Ukraine wanted to treat this girl, who had been infected with staphylococcus in a maternity hospital and is now in a coma," Simonova said. "Her mother was forced to keep silent about it and threatened she would be sued otherwise. I decided to try finding some sponsors who would help the girl. I think I won just for her!" she added.
Simonova, herself a mom to a baby boy, was trying hard to save another girl’s life by transporting her to Italy for treatment. However, the 16-month old child died on Dec. 5. "A deep coma caused blood clots in her heart. One of them got lose and she died at a hospital in Simferopol," Simonova said. "She was a little angel."
After winning "Ukraine's Got Talent," Kseniya (now dubbed the "Lady of Sand" in her hometown of Yevpatoria in the Crimea) has apparently given most of her prize winnings to charity.
She started a fund called "Live, Sunshine!" campaigning against abortions and aiming to help poor mothers and children, as well as helping to pay for treatment of sick children abroad.
"Children are the best miracle of all. Everything in my life is connected with them. I think kids are my best talent!" she said. "The money I won is enough to help many of those in need."
I realize that her anti-abortion stance may cause some to shy away from appreciating her art but I don't think it should.