Truck Art and Painting in Pakistan - Article

Source: http://www.pro-pakistan.com/2009/08/30/truck-art-painting-in-pakistan/

If you have missed the heavily decorated trucks and buses on the roads in Pakistan — you haven’t been to Pakistan. As a kid, i thought they just came in this form, and never noticed this art at all. In fact any truck without this artwork was something alien to me. Now that I have come close to realize the work put into this art, I am all the more proud of the artists and painters involved in this beautiful art.

Art in any form is joy to the eyes. In Pakistan there is this great art (known as Truck Art) which has captured the imagination of tourists and art lovers from all over the globe. Its not cheap, its not easy but a truck owner without a truck art is not acceptable in the the Truck Drivers fraternity. This tradition of truck painting in Pakistan has an interesting history as well;

Starting in the days of the Raj. As early as the 1920’s, competing transportation companies would hire craftsmen to adorn their buses in the hopes that these moving canvases would attract more passengers. The technique worked so well that pretty soon you couldn’t purchase a ticket without seeing dozens of beautifully painted trucks waiting to take you to your destination. While the art doesn’t serve the same purpose anymore, it is still as prevalent as ever and has become more intricate and developed a deeper cultural significance over time. (Weburbanist)