TRUE GRIT
Who is Kseniya Simonova and what do the Britain’s Got Talent star’s pictures mean?
KSENIYA Simonova is the only sand artist to audition on BGT and she has now stormed her way to the Britain's Got Talent: The Champions final after wowing viewers and the judges alike.
Here we introduce the Ukrainian artist with the unique talent who has gone on to achieve international acclaim since first appearing on Ukraine's Got Talent back in 2009...
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Who is Kseniya Simonova?
Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian sand animation performance artist.
She was born on April 22, 1985, in the Crimean peninsula to an artist mother and former military officer father.
Kseniya was educated at the Artistic School of Yevpatoria and studied in the School of Fine Arts.
And while studying at the Tavrida National V.I. Vernadsky University - where she graduated in 2007 with honours in Psychophysiology - she entered the Ukrainian Academy of Printing and studied graphic design, graduating in 2008.
Kseniya is married to theatre director Igor Paskar with whom she shares two sons.
How did Kseniya Simonova do in Britain's Got Talent: The Champions?
When Kseniya took to the BGT:The Champions stage on August 31, 2019, she had the viewers and judges in tears.
And her emotional performance won her Amanda's Golden Buzzer - meaning she automatically made it to the competition's final.
Before her act she explained that she works with children who have cancer and she creates sand stories to "encourage them to keep fighting".
At the start of her performance she created a number of tranquil pictures, set to beautiful backing music.
Her sand story then depicted the poorly children she works with in hospital.
At the end of emotional story, she created a picture of a child smiling - to show they had got better.
Kseniya ended the performance by writing 'Never Give Up'.
This certainly bowled over Amanda who straight away pushed her Golden Buzzer, much to the audience's delight.
Speaking about why she pressed the button, Amanda said: "I heard at the beginning you said you work with cancer patients, specifically children, so the whole message was very uplifting and very emotional.
"But I think for me, your sort of quiet skill requires no language, no nothing. This is the champions of champions, with all nationalities, we're going across the world, your performance, nothing needed explaining, you did it all with just sand."
Simon also revealed he wanted to push the Golden Buzzer, as he was so moved by her performance.
When was Kseniya Simonova last on Ukraine's Got Talent?
In 2009 Kseniya's husband secretly entered her into Ukraine's Got Talent.
Her first audition comprised of a two minute sand story.
In the semi-final she did an eight-minute sand story of a young couple separated by war which was met with an emotional standing ovation.
She explained the experience as "so emotionally hard, and I now still cannot think about those minutes without pain... My hands were dying and reviving making the images".
Kseniya was declared the winner after her final performance of Don't Be Too Late about a son who finds success but forgets his parents.
Her performance went viral and was viewed on YouTube millions of times within days - prompting The Guardian to call her an Online Phenomenon.
They said: "Simonova has achieved her goal as an artist.
"If we take it that art's purpose is to illuminate the world in a new way, provoke a reaction, somehow alter the consciousness of the viewer then her work is a huge success."
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What has Kseniya Simonova done since winning Ukraine's Got Talent?
Since winning the €100,000 prize money, Kseniya has gone on to become an internationally recognised artist.
And has performed at the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall and the closing ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games in Athens to name a few.
She has also performed at a Christian Dior exhibition in Moscow and at the 2012 Uefa Euro championships in Ukraine, as well as performing in front of multiple royal families and heads of state.
In 2019 she participated in America's Got Talent: The Champions - even getting the golden buzzer from Terry Crews.
Her final performance Love Always Wins received rave feedback from the judges, with Simon Cowell even declaring it "one of the most beautiful acts in the history of Got Talent."
She finished in third place.
And on August 31, Kseniya will take to the BGT: The Champions stage to perform an emotional sand art story dedicated to children with cancer to encourage them to keep fighting.
More BGT: champions news
When is Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions on TV?
The BGT spin-off started on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 8pm, on ITV.
The series will run for six weeks, with the show will end on October 5, 2019.
Contestants and judges filmed the final at Wembley Arena at the end of July and accidentally revealed the winner.
The act who won the contest showed off their trophy outside the arena after the grand finale was shot.
However, we will not spoil it for you by revealing their identity but if you do care to know who won the show, a simple Twitter search will bring up the answer in no time.
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