Artist Doodles Life-Changing Advice Women Got From Their Fathers

The “My Father Illustration” project brought stories from women from 44 countries, across all backgrounds. (Photo Courtesy: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

What’s the most important piece of advice you ever got from your father? Would it not be something you would want to share with other daughters?

Artist Debasmita Dasgupta did exactly that as she started looking for father-daughter stories to illustrate in her own way and started sharing with social media. The Quint spoke to her about her art and her journey with the “My Father Illustration” project.

The project started in 2013 after an interesting TED talk. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

It all started in 2013 when Dasgupta heard a TED talk about a woman’s experience, growing up in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime.

Her father never lost the courage to provide her the education she needed, despite the odds. And that’s how the artist was inspired.

Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

Zahara, an ice skater from UAE. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

Freida Kahlo, *needs no introduction*. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

Acid attack survivor Monica Singh. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

Dasgupta has taken father-daughter stories from around the globe, some she had to look for while others came to her with people coming across her work on social media.

Sabah Haji, who runs a school in a remote village of Jammu and Kashmir, where people travel for hours to enroll their children. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

Harmanpreet Kaur, Indian cricket player. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

Roshni Sharma, the first Indian woman to travel from Kanyakumari to Ladakh in 14 days. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

She expanded her work to the grassroots, by reaching out to the communities in need. Dasgupta started camps where fathers and daughters would express themselves with art.

Muniba Mazari, the first wheelchair bound model to appear for Toni&Guy from Pakistan. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

Participants would share specific experiences or pieces of advice from their fathers.

Annapurna Devi, an Indian musician. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

Tara Sharma Saluja, a model, actor and entrepreneur. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

Christine, a trained recipe taster, tester, editor and culinary coordinator. Tara Sharma Saluja, a model, actor and entrepreneur. (Photo: Facebook @MyFatherIllustrations)

She also told us that the fathers who came from underprivileged backgrounds had immense ambition, respect and emotional understanding for their daughters.

Each doodle is a little piece of advice for when you need a bit of love from your dad but you may not be able to get it from him at that time.
*Time to call up dad!*