When was the last time you took a photo with your father?

Celebrating National Father’s Day that falls every Nov. 12, a photo exhibition at Bentara Budaya, Central Jakarta, is being held for six days from Nov. 20 to 25. Entitled Ini Ayah Hebatku (This is My Super Father), the exhibition focuses on the importance of fatherhood by portraying moments between a father and his child.

A total of 100 photos are displayed at the exhibition and most of them are based on submissions from June 22 to Oct. 6. Many of the photos capture daily activities between a father and his child. Dekap Aku, Ayah (Embrace Me, Dad) from Riefka Dachlan, for instance, shows a father playing with his daughter on a beach. Meanwhile, Percayalah, Nak (Trust Me, Kid) by Rachma Safitri captures a moment when a father and his child cross a hanging bridge. Ajari Aku, ayah (Teach Me, Dad) shows a father helping his child with their homework.

Senior photographer and exhibition curator, Arbain Rambey, found several obstacles during the selection process. He realized that a photo of only a father and his child is rarely found among Indonesian families. “Most family photos in Indonesia consist of the father and mother with their children or the mother with her children,” Arbain said.

Another obstacle was resolution. There were over 200 photos that had been submitted to the organizers, but many of them did not qualify as their resolutions were too small. “They took the photos using their smartphone and sent them via WhatsApp,” Arbain explained, suggesting that people should send the photos through Telegram or e-mail so that the resolutions stay the same.

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Founder of Bunda untuk Kehidupan (Mother for Life) and one of the initiators of the exhibition, Yully Purwanti, said before this photo exhibition, fatherhood campaigns had been conducted through seminars, dialogues and discussions. “[This] photo exhibition can be a different form [to promote] the importance of a father in nurturing children because they need both father and mother,” Yully said. “Up until now, father's have not received enough time to dedicate to looking after the children because some mothers do not fully realize that fathers need to get involved in educating and nurturing [children].”

Inside the venue, there are four canvases on display, each containing a question for the visitors. One asks about the most memorable message from their father and another the meaning of their fathers for them. Visitors can write down their answers on the sticky notes or canvases provided.

Aside from the exhibition, there will be a Daily Fathering Session with Irwan Rinaldi, founder of independent organization Ayah Untuk Semua that helps working men in nurturing and educating their children, for four days from Nov. 21 to 24 and a Photography Workshop with Arbain Rambey on Nov. 25.

“Hopefully many fathers are moved [by this exhibition] and, either by their own realization or encouraged by their spouses, get involved in nurturing their children,” Yully said. “And I hope it’s not temporary or only because of this exhibition. I hope it becomes stronger because the future is in our children’s hands.” (asw)

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