I kid you not!

I kid you not!THE STORY Chaos. Laughter. A whirlwind of movement. The youngest of the two brothers, wrapped in his Javanese garments, is darting through the village, his excitement too big to contain. Hes screaming, twirling, feeling like a celebrity about to be immortalized. The idea of a photograph turns into a game, and for him, theres nothing better. His elder brother, however, is far less amused. After what felt like an impossible chase, they are finally

ᝰ THE STORY

Chaos. Laughter. A whirlwind of movement. The youngest of the two brothers, wrapped in his Javanese garments, is darting through the village, his excitement too big to contain. He’s screaming, twirling, feeling like a celebrity about to be immortalized. The idea of a photograph turns into a game, and for him, there’s nothing better. His elder brother, however, is far less amused.

After what felt like an impossible chase, they are finally here—side by side. The younger one, still bubbling with energy, nudges his brother, teasing, "Come on, it's just a photo, ya know!" But the older sibling, dressed in his dignified surjan—a traditional long-sleeved garment with signature lurik patterns from Surakarta and Yogyakarta—sits stiffly, as if wishing he could disappear. His blangkon, the intricately folded Javanese headscarf, rests atop his head like a reluctant crown.

This is the magic of brotherhood—where one dares, the other endures; where one leaps, the other steadies. The contrast is stark: one wild and free, the other reserved and composed. Yet, beneath the teasing, beneath the differences, there is an unshakable bond. A connection so strong that, even when dragged into something unwillingly, a brother’s presence makes it bearable.

This portrait is not just a fleeting moment—it’s a testament to siblinghood in its rawest form. The push and pull, the mischief, the unspoken loyalty. It’s a reminder that sometimes in life, we are thrown into situations we never asked for. But with a hand pulling us along, with a laugh breaking through hesitation, we step forward. We show up.

And in the end, as this photo proves—I kid you not!—those are often the moments that matter the most.

📍Yogyakarta, Jawa Tengah  🗓 2018