In 2022, the Jeffrey Ahn, Jr. Fellowship was awarded to Rhythm Ghai, age 13, from New Delhi, India. Rhythm is not only its youngest winner but also its first winner from outside the United States.

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During her Fellowship summer, Rhythm completed a series of large-format mixed-media drawings dedicated to the environments threatened by the climate crisis, as well as the activities that could reverse the damage-- thus depicting a dire situation truthfully while also conjuring certain ways out. Using a combination of ink, pen, charcoal, oil, and watercolor to realize her exceptionally intricate signature style, Rhythm created an eleven-part series evoking endangered flora and fauna, the fossil fuel transition, the greenhouse effect, pollution, impacts on human health, natural calamities, assisted migration of plants, and agroforestry, among others. 

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While Rhythm has been preoccupied by these themes for some time in her work, the 2022 Jeffrey Ahn, Jr. Fellowship enabled her to explore them more deeply and execute the finished works on a larger scale than she had ever attempted before. 

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