Cezary Rucki is an up-and-coming photographer whose Graduate Fellowship with the Althafen Foundation propelled him to explore themes of art, identity, and social transformation. During his scholarship period, he produced the acclaimed “Unraveling Identity of Ghetto Classics” exhibition, spotlighting the resilient stories of young musicians from Nairobi’s Korogocho community. Rucki’s lens captures both the harsh environment and the emotional journeys of these aspiring musicians, emphasizing how the arts can reshape personal and cultural narratives.

Rucki sees portraits as a mechanism for revelation, transcending the straightforward purity of personal stories that are sometimes difficult to express in words. As a collaborative effort, these portraits went beyond the struggles of poverty, gang affiliations, and environmental hardship, offering a more profound narrative of resilience and hope.

Rucki’s project exemplifies the AHF’s vision of nurturing transformative talents—individuals who use creative expression to foster empathy, empowerment, and new opportunities for underrepresented voices. His dedication to storytelling through photography has earned him recognition as an artist who brings a fresh perspective to socially charged subjects that feel both intimate and universal.

In addition to his landmark project, Rucki also closely collaborated with Artist in Spotlight Lera Auerbach, creating an intimate portrait series, by opening the window to the lesser known world of her creative process. Rucki followed Auerbach during her residency at the Konzerthaus Berlin, to capture this process in all of its different forms.