Pakistani Truck Art: Where to See It and How It Is Made

Pakistani truck art is the hand-decorated finish on the country's lorries and buses: painted flowers and landscapes, chamak patti stickers, mirror work, carved wood, dangling chains and a line of poetry on the back. The easiest place to watch it being made is a truck workshop in Rawalpindi or Karachi, and the easiest place to see it finished is on any long-distance road, particularly the Grand Trunk Road and the motorways.

It is not a festival, but it belongs in a guide to Pakistani culture because it is one of the few folk arts you meet by accident. This post covers where it came from, how the regional styles differ, where travellers have found workshops, and how to behave when you walk into somebody's place of work.

Where did Pakistani truck art come from?

Most accounts put the beginning in the 1920s to 1940s, when owners of imported lorries began painting them. Dawn's history of the form says that in the 1940s Sikh transporters painted portraits of their gurus while Muslim drivers painted Sufi saints. After 1947 the repertoire widened to landscapes, flying horses and peacocks.

The look people now think of as truck art, covering the whole vehicle, arrived in the early 1970s. Dawn credits it to film hoardings and to Western pop art and psychedelic design. Political portraits had appeared earlier: Ayub Khan's face was common on trucks in the 1960s. In the 1980s a painter known as Kafeel Bhai from Ghotki in Sindh became the first widely recognised name in the trade.

Today the subjects still include saints and animals, but also cricketers, film stars, politicians, soldiers and the owner's children. The motifs are partly religious, partly protective (a painted eye is meant to turn away bad luck), and partly a driver's way of saying who he is.

How regional styles differ

Writers describe the main centres differently, so treat the following as a rough guide.

• Rawalpindi (Pindi style): Described by Arab News as the most flamboyant, with vivid colour, dense stickers, mirrors and layered detail. Truck painting in the twin cities happens in small industrial yards where painters, welders, horn makers and electricians work side by side.
• Karachi: Where truck painting took hold early as new trucks arrived through the port. Wikipedia describes a "disco" look of bulbs, glass and mirrors.
• Peshawar and Balochistan: Known for carved wood panels, while camel-bone inlay is associated with Balochistan and Sindh.
• Other regions: Hazara, Swat and Mandi Bahauddin are named as having their own signatures.

One craftsman cited by Arab News, an artisan in Rawalpindi with more than four decades on the job, said each client brings their own vision and budget, so a truck is a negotiated piece of work, not a fixed pattern.

A full refurbishment, the same report says, can run to PKR 2 to 5 million depending on materials and whether tyres and chassis need replacing. That figure comes from recent press reporting and prices move, so take it as an indication of how serious the investment is, not a quote.

Where can you see truck art workshops?

We cannot confirm opening hours or any visitor arrangements for the places below, and nobody should expect an organised tourist attraction. These are working yards. Walk in during daylight, say hello, and ask before you photograph.

Rawalpindi

A travel writer's guide, reprinted by Lonely Planet, places the truck workshops just beyond Raja Bazaar on Railway Workshop Road. The directions given: take Ganj Mandi Road from Fowara Chowk, and when you reach the tonga stand turn left over the bridge. Expect rows of yards where trucks are being repainted, rewelded, fitted with horns and finished with stickers.

If you are combining it with sightseeing, Raja Bazaar is a short distance away. Our guides to Raja Bazaar and to places to visit in Rawalpindi cover the neighbourhood.

Karachi

Karachi's truck-painting areas are less well documented for visitors. Reports mention the Garden area and Yusuf Goth truck yard as places where trucks are decorated, and the artist Haider Ali, who painted a Bedford truck for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 2002, runs a Truck Art Academy at Hawks Bay. Wikipedia says he works in the open air and sketches his designs on the ground. Check by phone or social media before going out to Hawks Bay, as we have no confirmed opening arrangements.

Karachi is also where you are most likely to buy a truck-art object in a shop, from stickers to trays. Our Karachi souvenirs guide has more.

Peshawar

Travel writers also recommend Peshawar for workshops, with carvers a particular draw. We cannot recommend a visit now: the UK government advises against all travel to Peshawar and the surrounding districts, and Pakistani travellers should check current local advice first.

Where to see finished trucks

You do not need a workshop. Trucks are everywhere on the Grand Trunk Road and on the motorway service areas, where drivers rest. Craft & Travel names the Bhera North service station on the motorway as a good spot for photographs, and says Islamabad airport's baggage carousels carry truck-art installations. Mountain roads are good too, as heavy vehicles climb slowly enough to look at.

Keep a safe distance. Do not walk between parked trucks on a motorway or chase one in a car for a photograph. Our guide to the best motorway rest areas lists the stops with space to park and stretch.

Can you try truck art yourself?

Craft & Travel mentions painting workshops at the Lahore Heritage Club where visitors can paint truck-art motifs such as birds, flowers and protective eyes. Confirm that the programme still runs before you go. For something to take home, truck-art objects are sold in places like Anarkali Bazaar, and more traditional craft options are in our guide to Punjab handicrafts.

How to behave in a workshop

• Ask first. A smile and a request in Urdu or English to watch usually works. Offer a tip or buy tea if you stay a while.
• Mind the hazards. Welding sparks, paint fumes, tools and moving vehicles are everywhere. Wear closed shoes.
• Photograph with permission. Ask before photographing people, and do not post a worker's face without their agreement.
• Do not touch wet paint. Or sit in the cab without being invited.
• Do not expect a show. This is a business. Keep out of the way when a job is being rushed.

For families and women travelling, going with a local guide or driver makes it easier, and daytime visits are the sensible default.

Is it worth a detour?

If you are already in Rawalpindi or Karachi, an hour at a workshop is a good use of time, especially if you have photography in mind. It costs nothing and shows you a craft that has no equivalent in a gallery. If you need a polished experience with fixed timings, a tour, and a clean toilet, this is not it. Go to the heritage club workshop or buy a piece in a bazaar instead.

The art also faces pressure. Reporting notes that the younger generation is less engaged, that rising prices have hurt business, and that digital printing and posters have taken over some of the political work. That is a reason to go sooner. Our experiences page lists other cultural activities, and the Karachi heritage walk guide is a fuller way to spend a day in the city.

Frequently asked questions