List to do- to father a son, to plant tree, to build a house

To do list explores modern fatherhood and the redefinition of masculinity. Through intimate and symbolic photography, the project challenges stereotypes, highlighting fatherhood as love, time, and deep connection, beyond traditional roles.

"To Do List – To Father a Son, to Build a House, to Plant a Tree" is a photographic project by Jakub Stanek, offering a personal reflection on contemporary fatherhood and the redefinition of masculinity. As the father of a 10-year-old boy, in whose life he played a central role, Stanek attempts to understand the stereotypes surrounding gender roles and what has led to the current imbalance in the parenting system.

This imbalance, in the artist's experience, marginalized him as a father during a lengthy legal battle for custody of his son, despite his willingness and ability to play an equal role in raising the child.

The project focuses on the crisis of masculinity, which Stanek does not perceive as a problem but as an opportunity for change. In this crisis, he sees a chance to deconstruct traditional male and female roles and to build a new, more balanced vision of masculinity. His photographs explore the emotions, challenges, and beauty of parenthood beyond the traditional societal expectations of men as strong and unwavering providers.

The images in the project depict both intimate moments between Stanek and his son and symbolic representations of the burden of stereotypes that have defined fatherhood for decades. Everyday objects, fragments of a child's world, and scenes from family life become visual metaphors for the tension between tradition and Stanek's aspirations for greater involvement and equality.

The "To Do List" project is also an attempt to spark a discussion about the marginalization of fathers in legal and social systems that often favor mothers as the default primary caregivers. Through his work, Jakub Stanek illustrates that fatherhood is more than just a checklist—fathering a son, building a house, and planting a tree, ideas long ingrained in men as the essence of their role. Fatherhood is about time, love, involvement, and the ability to build deep relationships with children.