Draw a Pigeon of Peace
Kseniya Simonova, a 24-year-old Ukrainian artist, recently won the "Ukraine's Got Talent" competition, according to various media reports. She performed an incredible sand animation in fascinating background music, portraying Ukraine's Great Patriotic War against the Germans in World War II and the cruelty of war.
The story begins by showing a couple sitting peacefully on a bench under a starry sky. Suddenly, warplanes appear and the background music dramatically changes. Sounds of bomb blast and gun shots are so overwhelming. Simonova alters the sand pattern using her own hands and fingers, destroying the idyllic scene, which was then replaced by faces of people escaping from war.
Then, a mother gives born to a baby. Unfortunately, warplanes arrive again. A young lady appears, and seems to keep sending letters to her love on the frontline and waiting for his back. Years wrinkle the lady's face.
Afterwards, Simonova used her fingers to turn the image into a monument to an unknown soldier. The final scene is a mother and her child saying sad farewell to a father as his hands pressed against the window.
Simonova's sand animation moved the judges and audiences to tears. This unusual artist's live performance has received overwhelming response as more than four million people worldwide have watched her winning performance online. The death toll of Ukraine in WWII was more than 1.6 million, the highest among all countries. We may not know the sad history well. Luckily, we have Simonova's inspiring and timeless sand animation to reminding us of the evil of war.
Today, we live in a free, prosperous and peaceful society. Very few of us are willing to look into the painful topic of war which exposes the dark side of human nature. Simonova's performance has reminded me that battlefield does not merely refer to some spacious war zone far away. Instead, it can be so near us. Jealousy, quarrel, cyber bullying and slander are different forms of war in daily life, given their nature of destroying peace and harmony among people.
Lewis B. Smedes said, “When we forgive, we set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner we set free is us.” We may not be as skilful as Simonova, but we are the painters of our world. World peace requires each of us to unite and contribute. It is important for us to reach out on a personal level and make peace in everyday life. As we understand and forgive, relationships can be healed and confrontation can be avoided, and thus we are prepared to build and uphold a harmonious society.
Simonova has returned to her homeland after being famous, and plans to set up a charity fund using the prize of the competition. Thanks to Simonova's inspiration, we celebrate the importance of art as human spirit, and its function in the dissemination of positive values is once again confirmed.
Kseniya Simonova's performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=518XP8prwZo
To me, the beauty of life lies in love, nature and arts. After years of planning and development, I and my team have established K11 in Hong Kong, with the vision of Art ‧ People ‧ Nature, to be opened by the end of 2009. I wish to share with you the perfect blending of art appreciation, humanistic experience, nature enjoyment and shopping.