Photo by Edy Purnomo
Workshop
Unfolding the Drawer: A Journey into Visual Literacy with Edy Purnomo
In this intensive workshop, renowned photographer and educator Edy Purnomo invites participants to "unfold the drawer" of their memories—dusting off personal photo archives that are often buried and forgotten. Participants are asked to bring printed personal photographs (3R size) as the starting point for deep visual exploration. Through an intimate and reflective approach, this workshop focuses on strengthening visual awareness, examining how we frame the world, and honing our ability to read and curate images through a personal lens.
More than just a technical session, this workshop offers a meditative and emotional experience, where photographs are not simply objects to be analyzed, but become tools for self-recognition, conscious seeing, and understanding one’s visual interests. The act of looking at personal imagery becomes an act of self-inquiry.
Why did we take that image? Why does it matter to us? What stories linger behind the frame?
Participants will engage in discussions, peer review, and guided critique sessions that foster a supportive environment to reflect on both individual and collective visual memory. With Edy's guidance, the workshop becomes a space to reconnect with the emotional and symbolic power of images, beyond their aesthetic or documentary value. By examining the relationship between memory, identity, and visual language, participants will develop a deeper sense of how they see the world—and how that way of seeing can shape their storytelling, artistic practice, and everyday perception.
Whether you're a photographer, artist, writer, or simply a curious visual thinker, Unfolding the Drawer opens a door to more meaningful engagements with images, both personal and cultural. This is a rare opportunity to pause, look inward, and rediscover the narratives hidden in your own photographic archive.
