The on-going folk festival of Pakistan “Lok Mela” being held at Shakarparian under the aegis of Lok Virsa National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage also focuses on truck art apart from a number of other important culture and entertainment activities.
In the beautiful cultural pavilions erected at the festival, master craftsman Habibur Rehman is seen actively demonstrating the skill of truck art, which greatly fascinates the visitors. The 75-year old man has devoted a major part of his life for the continuance of this centuries’ old craft tradition. He is not only keeping this art alive but is also transferring it to future generations.
He has trained a group of young boys residing in his locality who are eager to learn traditional and modern techniques of making this unique art.
Answering a question about the interest of common people in this art, Habibur Rehman was heard saying, “This art fascinates people, especially women and children and they are buying small items as decoration pieces for their homes.”
Talking to this scribe, Lok Virsa’s Executive Director Mrs Shahera Shahid informed that the purpose of inviting truck art painters at the festival is to revive this beautiful art and provide artisans associated with it an opportunity to show their talent to the visitors and get them acquainted to the craftsmanship involved in preparing the items.
Giving details about the truck art, chief executive of Lok Virsa told that the colourful, sometimes dazzling, artwork 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 added.
Surprisingly, the artists and artisans involved in this special art are not graduated from art schools or colleges, yet they perform their incredible work skilfully, albeit in a naïve style; 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 top to bottom with no space left blank down to the hubcaps and fuel containers. The main themes of the paintings are dictated by the choice of the owners reflecting their cultural heritage and tastes. Designs created consist of geometrical and floral patterns, landscapes with lakes, rivers, waterfalls, snow covered mountain peaks, spring fountains, gardens, flowers, mosques, eagles, peacocks, fowls to mention only the main subjects.
Modern influence also manifests itself by depicting trains winding up mountain passes, oceans liners sailing through the calm seas, aircrafts gliding through a cloudless sky, even fighter jets and rockets and pictures of celebrated personalities.
Colours generally used are 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, sometime birds, often designs composed of florescent coloured plastic tape.
The Lok Virsa ED further apprised that knowing the importance of this art, Lok Virsa has also created a full-fledged 3-dimensional diorama on truck art at the Pakistan National Museum of Ethnology, popularly known as HeritageMuseum. A beautiful replica of the traditional truck driver’s hotel including food specially cooked and served to drivers can be seen at the display professionally designed by Lok Virsa. Lok Virsa has also displayed a truck, complete 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, she maintained. The festival will continue till April 20 daily from 11am to 10pm.