During a recent trip to India, I witnessed firsthand the harsh realities of environmental pollution. I saw how poor air quality and the absence of green spaces confined my grandparents indoors, as venturing outside posed serious health risks. This personal experience was a profound wake-up call, highlighting the urgency of addressing environmental crises not just with isolated solutions but through widespread awareness and collective action.

As an artist, I have always believed in the transformative power of art. Through its universal language, art has the ability to convey complex issues, evoke empathy, and inspire communities to take action. This competition is a small step—a single drop in the vast ocean of change—but as we know, oceans are made of countless such drops. Together, let us use art as a catalyst for change and work toward building a cleaner, greener planet for generations to come.