September 13, 2011 at 9:05 am

Decorative Truck Art from Pakistan

by twistedsifter

On the roads of Pakistan you will find moving art on every road in the form of decorated trucks and vehicles. With dazzling colours, ornate detailing and magnificent trinkets, these moving art exhibits inject your daily commute with Pakistani culture and symbolism.

Please enjoy this small sample of decorated trucks from Pakistan. There are many more examples of this amazing style, the Sifter will definitely be doing a follow-up post!

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Photograph by AFRAZOV

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Photograph by IMRAN THE TREKKER (IMRAN SCHAH)

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Photograph by RAJA QAISER

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Photograph by BAPTISTE MARCEL

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Photograph via MISHARI MUQBIL

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Photograph by IMRAN THE TREKKER (IMRAN SCHAH)

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Photograph via FAISAL RAFIQ

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Photograph by SYED KAZMI

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Photograph by AHTISHAM78

TRUCK ART IN PAKISTAN

– Truck art and decorations can cost upwards of $5,000. A hefty price when you consider the average income is around $2,100
– Many of the trucks are not owner-operated but belong to a fleet, where the owners authorize the decoration of the trucks by the individual drivers at their (the owner’s) expense. Owners of smaller fleets tend to take a much more active role in the truck art process
– The truck and bus painting and bodywork industry is a big business. In Karachi alone, there are more than 50,000 people working in small-family-run workshops comprised of apprentices and highly skilled artisans, each with unique styles and specialties
– The labour-intensive process of outfitting a truck can take six to ten weeks

[SOURCE]

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Photograph by IMRAN THE TREKKER (IMRAN SCHAH)

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Photograph by IRINA ROSENBRAND

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Photograph by RAJA ISLAM

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Photograph by KNIZAM ARTWERK

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Photograph by IMRAN THE TREKKER (IMRAN SCHAH)

TRUCK ART MOTIFS

Writer and photographer Jamal J. Elias has done extensive research on the decorated trucks of Pakistan and has categorized the motifs on trucks into five groups:

1. Idealized elements of life, such as the romanticized village, landscapes or beautiful women
2. Elements from modern life, such as pictures of political figures or patriotic symbols
3. Talismanic and fetish objects, such as horns, yak tails and items of clothing
4. Talismanically or religiously loaded symbols, such as eyes and fish
5. Obvious religious symbols and images, such as Buraq (a celestial horse that is believed to have carried the Prophet Muhammad on a spiritual journey to heaven)

One important piece of evidence for this idea is the difference between how the front and the back of the truck are decorated [a pattern that is common to most trucks and styles]. Unlike the front of the truck, which largely features powerful religious material, the back is whimsical (often humorous) and predominantly has motifs from modern life.

[SOURCE]