Lok Virsa, the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage has created a three-dimensional cultural diorama depicting the unique art of truck painting in Pakistan at its Heritage Museum. A beautiful replica of the traditional truck driver's hotel with photographic representation of the original driver's hotel including food specially cooked and served to drivers can be seen at the display professionally designed by Lok Virsa.
Besides making a full-fledged diorama on truck art, the institute has also displayed a truck, with all decorations and slogans that are usually inscribed on the bodies of the trucks in Pakistan, in the transport museum located within the vicinity of Lok Virsa.
Talking about the truck art, Executive Director, Lok Virsa, Khalid Javaid said that the colourful, sometimes dazzling, art work on vehicles and other means of transportation, which is found in abundance in Pakistan can hardly be seen anywhere else in the world. Decorations are not done only on trucks and buses but on all kinds of vehicles like tankers, mini-buses, trucks, rickshaws, tongas and even donkey carts moving on the road throughout the country, he told APP.
He said that most surprisingly, the artists and artisans involved in this special art are not graduated from art schools or colleges but they perform their awesome work skilfully, using their imagination and inspiration to create fantasies and dreams, the colours and embellishments of which are deeply rooted in Pakistan's rich folklore. Most vehicles are decorated from the top to bottom with no space left blank down to the hubcaps and fuel containers while the main themes of the paintings are dictated by the choice of the owners reflecting their cultural heritage and tastes.
Their designs comprise geometrical and floral patterns, landscapes with lakes, rivers, waterfalls, snow covered mountain peaks, spring fountains, gardens, flowers, mosques, eagles, peacocks and some symbolism mention the main subjects. Modern influence also manifests itself by depicting trains winding up mountain passes, ocean liners sailing through the calm seas, aircraft gliding through a cloudless sky, even fighter jets and rockets and pictures of celebrated beauties.
Colours used are extremely flaming orange, gleaming red and yellow, shocking pink, an intense emerald green, the mystical and blue combined with all shades of spectrum. Intricate mosaics of coloured glass, mirror and bone coloured plastic pieces, as well as finely executed wood carvings adorn the superstructure of the cabins and cabin doors with flowers, leaves garlands and sometime birds while a few designs are made of florescent coloured plastic tape.
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