End of the Road for Pakistans Truck Artists Slug: Pakistan truck painting Reporter: Mudassar Shah Date:

18/07/2012 IN R! Pakistan"s trucks are uni#ue $ co%ered in paintings& orna'ents& and car%ings& the("re 'ore like an art galler( rocketing do)n the road* ruck art is a Pakistan tradition that started in the earl( 1+20s* Dri%ers )ere on the road up to si, 'onths at a ti'e& li%ing in their %ehicles $ so the( 'ade the' -eauti.ul* /h(-er Pakhtunkh)a pro%ince in the )est is considered the -irthplace o. this art* It"s .ull o. tradition and skill $ -ut no) truck art is d(ing* Mudassar Shah 'eets t)o artists in the pro%incial capital Pesha)ar* 01 : S21 sound o. 3ic(cle 456(ear old 7hula' Muha''ad is one o. Pesha)ar"s -est truck artists $ and he"s desperate .or )ork* 8e"s on his -ic(cle& riding around Pesha)ar"s Ring Road to tr( and .ind trucks to decorate* 7hula' Muha''ad 9lip 2 :Male& Pashtu ;anguage< =I ha%e .our sons and '( daughter has passed a)a(* M( )i.e has dia-etes and also su..ers hepatitis& -ut I can"t get proper treat'ent .or her )ith '( inco'e*> S21 sound o. truck (ard 30D ?ND0R please send long clip 7hula' stops -( at the Super @aAiristan truck (ard $ it"s a popular place .or dri%ers and 'echanics to .ind )ork* 8e"s -een searching .or a truck to decorate .or .our da(s* 3ut -usiness is tough* 2or one thing& the trucks ha%e changed $ no) there are 'ore se'i6 trailers carr(ing containers* he 'ain part o. those trucks is the ca-in& )hich is not 'uch to decorate* Bnd .e)er trucks co'e to Pesha)ar no) $ the dri%ers and o)ners are a.raid o. -o'-ing attacks& and kidnapping .or ranso' is a real threat* hat 'eans 7hula' has lost 'ost o. his custo'ers*

7hula' Muha''ad 9lip 1 :Male& Pashtu ;anguage< =I ha%e co'e to the conclusion that I should co''it suicide -ecause I a' una-le to pa( '( -ills& rent& or an( other dail( e,penses* I can"t pa( -ecause I ha%e no )ork* M( children need 'one( -ut I"' una-le to pro%ide .or the'*> S21 sound o. truck (ard B single truck takes 10 to 15 da(s to .ull( decorate& )ith an a%erage cost that ranges -et)een 20 to C00 ?S dollars $ depending on the #ualit( o. the art* 3ack in the 1+80s& 7hula' )as one o. the 'ost sought6a.ter truck artists $ he earned -et)een 200 to 500 ?S dollars a da(* ruck o)ners )ould )ait )eeks .or hi' to decorate their %ehicles* 8e o.ten painted pictures o. their sons or nephe)s& as a re'inder o. ho'e )hile the( spent 'onths on the road * Brtists o.ten ha%e a signature i'age 6 7hula'"s is )hite horse )ith )ings* !thers paint geo'etric or .loral patterns& landscapes& and poetic %erse* 3ut it"s not Dust painting $ artists add orna'ents including colour.ul 'etal ani'al sculptures like patridge -irds $ a s('-ol o. -eaut( in Pashtun culture* !thers use .lo)ers $ or occasionall( e%en aeroplanes or rockets* Bnd so'e trucks ha%e chains attached underneath& to 'ake a Dangling noise as the( tra%el the high)a(s* 7hula' )as one o. the .irst painters )ho added 'irrors as part o. his )ork& and )ooden car%ings on the doors* 8e sa(s he"s painted 'ore than t)o thousand trucks* 3ut the rise o. conser%ati%e Isla' has had an i'pact $ and changed so'e o. his o)n ideas* 7hula' Muha''ad 9lip E :Male& Pashtu ;anguage< =I lo%ed to paint pictures o. people and ani'als -ut no) I do not like the' -ecause it is sin to do this* No)& I lo%e calligraph( and I also like to paint landscapes& roads& and trees* Brtists get paid a lot o. 'one( to paint i'ages o. people and ani'als -ut I hate painting this -ecause it is sin*> Strict %ersions o. Sharia la)& pro'oted -( so'e conser%ati%e .igures& political parties& and the Pakistani ali-an& prohi-its creating hu'an or ani'al .igures* Modern technolog(& and 'odern tastes& ha%e also hit -usiness hard* 8aAar 7ul o)ns around 12 trucks* 8e )as .ond o. truck art in the 1+80s $ -ut not an('ore*

8aDi 8aAar 7ul 9lip 1 :Male& Pashtu language< =@h( )ould I no) )aste 'one( on a dra)ing o. a horse )ith .e'ale head and )ingsF @e don"t see such creatures in real li.e* Bnd I ha%e '( 'o-ile phones no) to keep '( children"s pictures* I ha%en"t seen an( inno%ation in truck art in the last .e) (ears* B truck artist needs )eeks to paint a %ehicle and it costs 'e 'one(* No truck o)ner can a..ord )eeks o. inco'e Dust to put paintings on trucks*> Most truck artists ha%e had no .or'al training in art $ -ut in Pesha)ar& 7hula' has taught o%er 150 o. the' hi'sel.* S21 o. 'i,ing o. color 30D ?ND0R 66 please send long clip CE6(ear old B'eer Rah'an is one o. his .or'er students* 8e"s 'i,ing his paints together .or toda("s order $ he"s adding a portrait o. the truck o)ner"s son on the -ack o. the %ehicle& and so'e other i'ages on the rest o. %ehicle"s -od(* 3ut )ork is tough .or hi' too* hese da(s he gets around 15 Do-s a 'onth $ ten (ears ago& it )as 'ore like 50* B'eer Rah'an 9lip 1 :Male& Pashtu ;anguage< = he )ar on terror and suicide -o'-ings ha%e seriousl( a..ected our )ork* Most o. the people ha%e lost interest in our truck art* @e don"t )ork .or t)o or so'eti'es three da(s a )eek* In the past )e used to )ork right into the night and )e e%en charged 'ore .or that* @e could earn up to 50 ?S dollars a da(* 3ut no) )e generall( onl( earn 5 ?S dollars a da(*> @ith .e)er trucks& 7hula' and B'eer decorate kitchen utensils or 'ake orna'ents .or the ho'e* 7hula' sa(s the go%ern'ent gi%es a)ards to singers and painters& -ut it ignores truck artists* 8e sa(s he )on"t allo) his children to .ollo) in his .ootsteps* 7hula' Muha''ad 9lip C :Male& Pashtu ;anguage<> I )ould ne%er allo) '( children to )ork in this pro.ession an('ore -ecause there is no .uture in this art* @e ha%e to )ork 'ore .or less 'one(G and )e ha%e to )ork under the -urning sun in su''er* I get stressed )hen I think that I ha%e no other skills e,cept truck art* I. the go%ern'ent doesn"t support this art& it could die in ten or ele%en (ears .ro' no)*> 2or Bsia 9alling& this is Mudassar Shah .ro' Pesha)ar*