A father’s shoulder is always strong.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Artscrafts, a UAE-based platform to promote arts and culture, has joined forces with artists to celebrate Father’s Day. It is observed the world over to honour one’s father, or relevant father figure, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Japan, India, Philippines, South Africa and China, celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June. In the UAE, it is celebrated on June 21.

Artscrafts has hosted an online art event-cum-competition to commemorate the Day. Anil Kejriwal, Artscrafts Founder, says that the father is the backbone of a family, especially often in the Indian context, when he is the only earning member taking care of the whole family.Many fathers, he notes, spend their entire lives outside their homes for earning money, so their families could live comfortably.

The Gulf provides one example of how fathers sacrifice themselves for their families, he added. No one in the world can love a girl more than her father, opines Khushi Kejriwal, 20, Anil Kejriwal’s daughter, who conceived the idea of an art contest for Father’s Day. Artists of all ages took part in the free online art competition, which had the hashtag (it was the title of the event too) #WeHaveAHeroWeCallHimDad.

The programme opened on April 15 and ran till May 31, collecting 200 plus contributions from countries such as India, the UAE, KSA, Australia, USA and Pakistan. All those who took part — it involved people from age group 4 to 70 — will receive a digital certificate and winners aged 16 and older, will receive a monetary prize. Those aged 16 and below will receive a trophy and certificate. Online voting for the best artworks starts on June 8 and winners will be selected on the basis of jury scores and online votes.

 A father plays many roles in a child’s life.

“Every child’s father plays a unique function in his life that cannot be filled by anyone else,” says Anil Kejriwal. “Like mothers, fathers too play a crucial role in a child’s emotional growth. Children look to their fathers to establish and uphold values. According to studies, dad’s affection and support have a significant impact on a child’s cognitive and social development.” Says Khushi Kejriwal: “Fathers provide stability and emotional support for young girls. A father demonstrates to his daughter what a good man-woman relationship is like.

If a father is loving and kind, his daughter will seek out men who share those traits, when she is old enough to choose a mate. If a father is heroic, she will relate closely to men of the same character.” According to her, the first superhero any child meets in his or her life is their father. In the growing years of children, they need someone who can be their role model. Father is often the best example of a superhero.

“To give respect to the hard work of fathers who work tirelessly day and night for their families, we celebrate Father’s Day every year. On this day, we show our respect and gratitude to our father.” Anil Kejriwal adds that fathers not only shape who we are on the inside, but also how we interact with others, as we mature. The way a father raises his child also will affect the qualities a child values in others. Depending on how a youngster interpreted the significance of his or her relationship with his father, friends, partners, and spouses will be selected.

The patterns this parent establishes in his interactions with his kids will also play a crucial role in determining how they interact with others. Nilesh Bagore, Artscrafts technical leader, expressed his enthusiasm for the topic. He noted that “we have received several small, short films from children expressing their love for their fathers. We intend to create a video from these compilations and send it to the children’s families later.” “When I see the works of artists, I get totally emotional,” says Anil Kejriwal.

“I feel the love for the father expressed by all of them”. “A mother keeps the child in her womb for nine months,” says Khushi Kejriwal. “But a father carries the child on his shoulder till last his breath. That was the fact that came to our minds when we conceptualised the event”. Artscrafts was established in 2021 to recognise the untiring efforts of artists. Its journey began with a single artist that year — the platform now links numerous artists from various backgrounds and locations. Anil Kejriwal recalls the start-up days of the art promoter.

“During COVID-19 peak time in India in 2021,” he says, “a renowned Madhubani artist was in financial trouble, due to the closure of the school where she was working. “The income she received from her artworks ceased. To promote her work and her fellow artists from the same village, I began the artscrafts.co platform.

It connected artists from remote areas internationally, showcasing their artworks for global sales. Currently, www.artscrafts.co hosts artists from many countries. Artists of determination are also part of the platform.” Artscrafts has also organised events such as India@75; International Children’s Day and UAE@50.