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{{Short description|Decorated trucks in the Indian subcontinent}}
[[File:Pakistani_truck.jpg|thumb|upright|250px|A typical decorated truck in Pakistan; most Pakistani trucks have an augmented rooftop to increase space for decoration]]
{{multiple image|align=right|image1=A decorated truck in India.jpg|width1=122|image2=Artwork on a Rajasthan truck rear view (detail).jpg|width2=122|footer= Front and rear view of two trucks in India, showing detail of various decorative symbols used in Indian truck art}}
'''Truck art in South Asia''' is a popular form of regional decoration, with trucks featuring elaborate floral patterns and calligraphy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pakistaniat.com/2008/06/18/pakistans-indigenous-truck-art/ |title=Pakistan's Indigenous Art of Truck Painting |last1=Mughal |first1=Owais |date=June 18, 2008 |website=All Things Pakistan |access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://creativeyatra.com/culture/tracing-truck-art-beyond-horn-ok-please-india-and-pakistans-truck-art-tradition/|title=Tracing Truck Art beyond 'Horn OK Please': India and Pakistan's Truck Art tradition|date=16 November 2016|publisher=Creative Yatra|language=en|accessdate=31 July 2017|quote=Largely a domestic art in its early years especially in North India and Pakistan, the ideation of beautifying trucks, lorries, and rickshaws with multifaceted patterns and calligraphy was common.}}</ref> It is especially common in [[Pakistan]] and [[India]].<ref name="McKenzie2015">{{cite web |last=McKenzie |first=Sheena |date=5 August 2015 |title=Pimp my ride: The psychedelic world of Indian truck art |url=http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/india-truck-art-travel-design/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]] |language=en |quote=For truckers in India, that means a kaleidoscope of colors, slogans, and intricately painted symbols that are as much about bling -- as shrewd business sense. ..."A better looking truck attracts more business," says Shantanu Suman, graphic designer and filmmaker behind 2013 documentary "Horn Please," which explores India's spectacular truck art tradition. |accessdate=31 July 2017}}</ref>

During the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], Pakistani decorated trucks that ran services between Pakistan and [[Afghanistan]] came to be known as '''jingle trucks''' by [[United States Armed Forces|American troops and contractors]] who were deployed across the latter country.

==History and origin==
The concept of South Asian truck art itself generally goes back to the 1920s during [[British Raj|British rule]] in [[Colonial India]], in which trucks were imported into the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dianna |first=Wray |date=December 2021 |title=Pakistani Art Trucks on a Bridge of Culture |url=https://www.aramcoworld.com/articles/2021/pakistani-art-trucks-on-a-bridge-of-culture |access-date=January 28, 2024 |website=AramcoWorld}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-11 |title=Truck art from Pakistan |url=https://alifatelier.wordpress.com/category/truck-art-from-pakistan/ |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=Zahra's Blog + Brown Lady Art Collective |language=en}}</ref> Locals began to decorate the trucks that arrived in colonial India using "kaleidoscopic age-old folk art" from the region.<ref>{{cite web |title=Honk if you Love the Subculture of Indian Trucker Art |url=https://www.messynessychic.com/2013/12/04/honk-if-you-love-the-subculture-of-indian-trucker-art/ |publisher=Messy Nessy Chic |access-date=17 April 2025 |date=18 March 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Rathnayake |first=Zinara |date=2022-09-01 |title=Pakistan's Trucks Are Vibrant, Bedazzled Works of Art |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pakistan-truck-art-phool-patti |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}</ref> The tradition of truck art became "a tradition for generations of truck artists" in the Indian subcontinent.<ref name="Homegrown2022">{{cite web |last1=Chaudhary |first1=Samiksha |title=An Indian Collective Reviving & Promoting Truck Art Culture Across The Country |url=https://homegrown.co.in/homegrown-voices/an-indian-collective-reviving-promoting-truck-art-culture-across-the-country |publisher=Homegrown |access-date=17 April 2025 |language=en |date=7 October 2022}}</ref>

The phrase [[Horn OK Please]] is often seen on trucks using the South Asian truck art form. During the [[World War II]] era the abbreviation "OK" referred to the fact that the trucks were running on [[kerosene]], a flammable fuel.The "OK" might be a reference to this.<ref name="Roy2024">{{cite web |last1=Roy |first1=Ishita |title=How Tata Motors Turned Truck Art Into Powerful Ad Campaigns On Indian Roads |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle/people/how-tata-motors-turned-truck-art-into-powerful-ad-campaigns-on-indian-roads-article-114324602 |publisher=[[Times Now]] |access-date=17 April 2025 |language=en |date=18 October 2024}}</ref>

The term "jingle truck" is [[military slang]] that was coined by [[United States Armed Forces|American troops]] serving in [[Afghanistan]], although it may also date back to the [[British Raj|British colonial period]]. The term came to be because of the jingling sound that the trucks make due to the chains and pendants hanging from the bumpers of the vehicles.<ref name=definition>{{cite web |url=http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/jingle_truck_1/ |title=A Way With Words |last=Barrett |first=Grant |date=26 May 2005 |access-date=2 September 2017}}</ref>

==Practice==
[[File:Tank truck on Phuentsholing-Thimphu highway, Bhutan.jpg|thumb|A tanker truck in [[Bhutan]] with [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan buddhist]] symbols like the [[Snow Lion|snow lion]] used for decoration]]
Many trucks and buses are highly customized and decorated by their owners. External truck decoration can cost thousands of dollars.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www3.amherst.edu/magazine/issues/05spring/trucks/index.html |title=On Wings of Diesel: The Decorated Trucks of Pakistan |last1=Elias |first1=Jamal |date=2005 |website=Amherst Magazine |access-date=February 10, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517232757/http://www3.amherst.edu/magazine/issues/05spring/trucks/index.html |archive-date=May 17, 2014 }}</ref> The decoration often contains elements that remind the truck drivers of home, since they may be away from home for months at a time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19292392 |title=Pakistan's truck art inspires catwalk fashion range - BBC News |work=BBC News |accessdate=2016-10-23}}</ref> The art is a mode of expression for the truck drivers.<ref name="Vice2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/inside-the-world-of-india-truck-art/ |title=Inside the World of Indian Truck Art |website=Vice.com|date=2019-07-05|access-date=2019-09-18}}</ref> Decoration may include structural changes, [[paintings]], [[calligraphy]] and ornamental-decor like mirror work on the front and back of vehicles and wooden carvings on the truck doors. Depictions of various historical scenes and poetic verses are also common.<ref name="saudiaramcoworld.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200502/masterpieces.to.go.the.trucks.of.pakistan.htm |title=Masterpieces to Go: The Trucks of Pakistan |last1=Covington |first1=Richard |date=Spring 2005 |website=Saudi Aramco World |access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref> Outfitting is often completed at a coach workshop.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/research/101906.html |title=The Painted Trucks of Pakistan |last1=Nyland |first1=Tim |date=October 19, 2006 |website=Penn Current |publisher=University of Pennsylvania |access-date=February 10, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113101127/http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/research/101906.html |archive-date=January 13, 2011 }}</ref> Chains and pendants often dangle off the front bumper.<ref>[https://www.rferl.org/a/truck-art-tradition-in-pakistan/28548217.html Pakistan's Dazzling 'Jingle Trucks'] [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] (www.rferl.org). June 14, 2017. Retrieved on 2017-06-19.</ref> Religious iconography, poetry and political logos are also common.<ref name="McKenzie2015"/><ref name="Sahapedia">{{cite web|url=https://www.sahapedia.org/ode-road-truck-art-north-india|title=Ode to the Road: Truck Art of North India|last=Kafle|first=Dinesh|website=Sahapedia.org|date=22 March 2021|access-date=17 May 2022|quote=An example of such a space, the bumpers of the trucks in North India are often painted with couplets and quartets. Among North Indian trucks, those registered in Uttar Pradesh often carry writings that are closest to what we call truck literature: couplets and quartets.}}</ref>

=== India ===
[[File:A truck being painted near Cochin, India.jpg|thumb|386x386px|Truck being painted in [[Kochi]], India]]
==== Themes ====
In India, motifs depicting eagles, kites, cow nuzzling calf and ''[[nazar battu]]'', and catchphrases like "''[[Horn OK Please]]''", "''Blow Horn''" and "''Use Dipper at Night''" are frequently seen.<ref>{{cite web |last=Iyengar |first=Radhika |date=2 June 2021 |title=India's Vibrant and Idiosyncratic Truck Art |url=https://hyperallergic.com/649642/india-vibrant-idiosyncratic-truck-art |access-date=17 May 2022 |website=hyperallergic.com}}</ref>

==== Artists ====
Nafees Ahmad Khan, a truck art artist in [[Indore]], is well known throughout India and has been designing one truck every day for over thirty-two years.<ref name="Vice2019" />

==== Regional styles ====
In India, the [[Delhi]]-based artist Tilak Raj Dhir states that the slogans he adds to his truck art, which is prevalent throughout the [[National Capital Region (India)|National Capital Region]], often change with the socio-political atmosphere.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sharma |first=Manoj |date=20 April 2015 |title=Meet the men who convert trucks into colourful canvases |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/meet-the-men-who-convert-trucks-into-colourful-canvases/story-mmF7FbEhGr2FUfpIwqTi1M.html |accessdate=1 August 2017 |publisher=[[Hindustan Times]] |language=en}}</ref> The state of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] is considered a major centre of truck art in India, with a distinctive style and expert artists.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Johnny |last2=Thornell |first2=Christina |date=17 July 2019 |title=India's trucks are works of art |url=https://www.vox.com/videos/2019/7/17/20697863/india-trucks-art-bedfords-borders |access-date=17 May 2022 |publisher=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> Poetry is commonly seen in truck art across northern India, and particularly in [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref name="Sahapedia" /> Truck art in Hindi and Urdu is sometimes called ''Phool Patti''.<ref>{{cite web |date=22 April 2018 |title=HERITAGE: SAYING IT WITH FLOWERS |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1403009/heritage-saying-it-with-flowers |publisher=dawn.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=30 July 2015 |title=Dover Rug & Home Presents Truck Artist, Haider Ali |url=https://wellesleywestonmagazine.com/doverrug-truckartist/ |accessdate=17 September 2019 |publisher=Wellesley Weston Magazine |quote=In recent years, Ali and his students, and their students, have started a company they named Phool Patti, which translates to ‘flowers leaves’ in Urdu/Hindi.}}</ref>

=== Pakistan ===

==== Themes ====
Truck art showcases a wide variety of symbols, from religious (mostly [[Islam|Islamic]]) motifs, poetic calligraphy and folklore to political messages and regional identity. These traditional symbols evolve as artisans apply their decorative techniques with modern mediums.<ref name=":2" /> Themes in the art draw heavily from indigenous artistic traditions while working in modern pop cultural and political elements. The result is a layered dialogue between heritage and modernity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Adnan |first=Ally |date=12 September 2014 |title=The art of loving |url=https://thefridaytimes.com/12-Sep-2014/the-art-of-loving |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208180854/https://thefridaytimes.com/12-Sep-2014/the-art-of-loving |archive-date=8 December 2024 |website=[[The Friday Times]]}}</ref>

==== Artists ====
Truck art has been called a "big business" in Pakistan, with around 250,000 people employed in the major centers as of 2014;<ref name=":1" /> one of the most prominent truck artists is [[Haider Ali (artist)|Haider Ali]]. Trained by his father from his youth, he first came to international attention in 2002 when he painted a Pakistani truck as part of the [[Smithsonian Folklife Festival]].<ref name="fastco">{{cite news |last=Hart |first=Hugh |date=14 November 2014 |title=A Jingle Truck Artist Brings The Mobile Art Of Pakistan To America |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3037627/a-jingle-truck-artist-brings-the-mobile-art-of-pakistan-to-america |work=Fast Company |access-date=17 August 2017}}</ref> Mr. Syed Phool Badshah, also known as Phool ji, is a well-known truck artist who is best known for his unique style of doing [[Fine Arts]] with Truck art.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Syed Phool Badshah – Karachi Art Directory|url=https://karachiartdirectory.com/art-professionals/syed-phool-badshah/|access-date=2020-06-28|language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Regional styles ====
General Motors introduced trucks to [[Karachi]] in the 1930s and by the time of the [[partition of India]], it had become the hub of truck art within what became Pakistan, with people moving to the city for work.<ref name=":0" /> Though [[Karachi]] is a major city centre for truck art, though there are other hubs in [[Rawalpindi]], [[Swat, Pakistan|Swat]], [[Peshawar]], [[Quetta]] and [[Lahore]]. The Karachi style has been called "[[disco]] art", with flashing bulbs, glass and mirrors.<ref name=":1" /> Trucks from [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] and Peshawar are often heavily trimmed with wood, while trucks from Rawalpindi and [[Islamabad]] often feature plastic work. Camel bone ornamentation and predominance of red colours is commonly seen on trucks decorated in [[Sindh]]. In Sindh, truck art is not exclusive to trucks only, but it is also used in local rickshaws, vans, wagons, bikes, busses, etc.<ref name="saudiaramcoworld.com"/>

==Influence==
[[File:Naan_sense_peshawar.jpg|thumb|upright|250px|Truck art decorates the façade of a business in [[Peshawar]], [[Pakistan]].]]
Truck art has extended beyond the decoration and ornamentation of trucks into other forms and media.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}

===Cars===
Though cars are not traditionally decorated in South Asia, there are examples of cars embellished in a truck art style. In 2009, The Foxy Shahzadi, a 1974 [[Volkswagen Beetle|VW Beetle]] decorated in a truck art style, travelled from Pakistan to [[France]] in a 25-day journey.<ref name=dawn>{{cite news|title=Foxy Shahzadi running away for good |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/880216/foxy-shahzadi-running-away-for-good|access-date=13 June 2014|newspaper=The Dawn|date=24 December 2010}}</ref><ref name=guardian>{{cite news|last=Walsh|first=Declan|title=From Pakistan to Paris, by VW Beetle |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/nov/09/pakistan-paris-vw-beetle|accessdate=13 June 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=9 November 2010}}</ref> In the Indian city of [[Mumbai]], some drivers decorate their taxis in a truck art style.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/indian-truck-art-and-taxi-fabric-project-322688|title=Indian Truck Art and Taxi Design-artnet News|last=Kinsella|first=Eileen|date=5 August 2015|publisher=[[Artnet]]|language=en|accessdate=1 August 2017}}</ref>

===Buses===
The buses in Asia are colorful wonders to behold. They are decorated with fancy paintings that blend spiritual images with nature motifs. In Pakistan, these ornate buses and trucks feature beloved folk art. The so-called "jingle trucks" of Pakistan showcase this art tradition all over the country. Each vehicle displays complex designs and patterns, made by talented local artisans.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bustiming.in/surprising-facts-about-buses|title=Did You Know These Surprising Facts About Buses?|website=bustiming.in|date=30 November 2023 }}</ref>

===Fashion===
The lively colours of Pakistani trucks have inspired some fashion designers.<ref name=bbc.fashion>{{cite news|title=Pakistan's truck art inspires catwalk fashion range |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19292392|accessdate=13 June 2015|newspaper=BBC|date=17 August 2012}}</ref> The Italian fashion company [[Dolce & Gabbana]] used truck art-inspired displays in a 2015 campaign.<ref name=tribune>{{cite news|last=Sheikh|first=Ibriz|title=Pakistani truck art takes over streets of Milan |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/894788/pakistani-truck-art-takes-over-streets-of-milan/|accessdate=13 September 2015|newspaper=The Express Tribune|date=30 May 2015}}</ref> Although used more often on women's fashion, some men's clothing have been inspired by South Asian truck art.<ref name=fashion>{{cite web|url=http://pakistantruckart.com/2010/03/06/truck-art-and-fashion/|title=Truck art and fashion |publisher=pakistantruckart.com|accessdate=16 October 2015}}</ref> Apart from clothing, truck art has also been incorporated into shoes by some.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/lifes/pakistani-truck-artist-gives-new-flair-to-kicks/74579/1|title=Pakistani truck artist gives new flair to kicks|work=[[Forbes India]]|access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref>

===Print design===
Farid Bawa, an Indian graphic designer, collaborates with Indian truck artists to make and sell prints of truck art online in a bid to preserve the tradition of truck art.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://homegrown.co.in/article/802052/this-collective-is-taking-indias-unique-truck-art-to-the-world|last=Shrivastava|first=Cara|title=This Collective Is Taking India's Unique Truck Art To The World|access-date=17 May 2022|website=Homegrown.co.in|date=8 June 2021 }}</ref>

[[File:Horn OK Please Pune (4823687230).jpg|thumb|Truck art on a fence in [[Pune]], India]]
=== New mediums ===
South Asian truck art has expanded beyond vehicles into many modern mediums. Many artists use high-resolution digital graphics and vinyl stickers to replicate traditional designs.<ref name=":2">Ahmed, Nadia. ''Pakistani Truck Art and its Shift onto Modern Artefacts''. Diss. Auckland University of Technology, 2022.</ref> In India, truck art has evolved into a digital style, mixing traditional motifs with [[computer-generated imagery]].<ref name=":3">Zahraa, Fatima, and S. Abdullah. "Vehicular Art Themes: Five Indian Subcontinental Art Forms that Inspire Pakistani Truck Visuals." ''International Journal of Innovation, Creativity, and Change'' 14.1 (2020): 1243-1267.</ref> Online platforms and social media have helped globalize the art form, allowing artists to reach wider audiences and collaborate with brands.<ref>Ali, Farah. "The bold and the beautiful: portraiture in Pakistani truck art." (2021).</ref>

The art form has been used in large-scale urban murals like Doha’s [[Jedariart|JedariArt]]. Artists such as [[Haider Ali (artist)|Haider Ali]] have also decorated non-traditional surfaces, including shipping containers and aircraft.<ref name=":2" /> This range of mediums reflects truck art’s evolving role as both a commercial product and a cultural export.<ref name=":3" />

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" height="150">
File:The symbol of art (1015808925).jpg|Decorations can be highly detailed.
File:Pakistani decorated Wheels Trucks.jpg|All parts of the truck are highly embellished.
File:Such beauty (1015799377).jpg|Wood-paneling is often carved in high detail.
File:Indiatruck.jpg|The phrase "[[Horn OK Please|Horn Please]]" is used extensively in Indian truck art.<ref name="McKenzie2015"/>
File:Sisters getting ready.jpg|The backs of Pakistani trucks are often intricately decorated.
File:Decorated truck (4180258762).jpg|Decorated truck in [[Rajasthan]].
File:Bangladeshi truck Near Dhaka.jpg|A decorated truck near [[Dhaka]].
File:Truck Pulled over due to lockdown in Nepal-Shambhunath Municipality , Nepal-4553.jpg|Truck art in [[Nepal]] often contains modern symbols alongside traditional ones.
File:PK Truck on N-5 near Thatta asv2020-02 img2.jpg|Two decorated trucks on Pakistan's [[N-5 National Highway]].
File:Colourful afghan truck.jpg|Decorated truck in Afghanistan.
File:Edappalayam Truck.jpg|A decorated truck in [[Kerala]].
File:W-P-AD20070217-16h21m13s-e.jpg|A decorated truck in the wood-paneled [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] style.
File:Decorated truck in India.jpg|A decorated [[fuel truck]] from [[Punjab, India]].
File:Street scene in Sri Lanka.jpg|Decorated [[Sri Lanka]]n truck
File:Jingle truck in Delaram, Afghanistan 01.jpg|Jingle truck in [[Delaram]], Afghanistan.
File:Gilgit-Skardu road.JPG|Decorated trucks can be found in even the most remote corners of Pakistan.
File:Truck in Rangpo, Sikkim.jpg|In [[Sikkim]]
File:A road leads to Sharda, Neelum Valley AJK.JPG|Many local buses in Pakistan are decorated with truck art.
File:El Gouna Bus R01.jpg|A public transport bus in [[El Gouna]], Egypt customised and highly decorated in Pakistani style
File:London - Pakistani decorated bus.jpg|A Pakistani-decorated bus on [[Euston Road]], London.
File:Karachi tram nightime melbourne.jpg|The [[Karachi to Melbourne Tram]], decorated by Pakistani truck artists, during the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Karachi to Melbourne Tram]]
* [[Dekotora]]
* [[Tap tap]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Decorated trucks in Pakistan}}
{{commons category|Decorated trucks in India}}
{{commons category|Decorated trucks in Afghanistan}}
{{commons category|Decorated vehicles in Pakistan}}
{{commons category|Jingle trucks}}
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker/sets/72157602206725404/ Pictures of decorated Pakistani trucks]
* [http://www.thebetterindia.com/44371/truck-art-india/ In Pictures: The Colourful and Magnificent Truck Art of India by Tanaya Singh]
* [http://www.projecthornplease.com/about/ Horn Please] (Documentary)
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker/sets/72157602206725404/ Flickr photos]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/violinsoldier/222170582/ More Flickr photos]
* [http://gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox/2007/05/the_most_colorf.html US Military blog, nice photos]
* [http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2006/09/hidden-dangers-of-jingle-trucks.html CNN site]

[[Category:Trucking subculture|South Asia]]
[[Category:Road transport in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Customised buses]]
[[Category:Asian folk art]]
[[Category:Decorated vehicles]]
[[Category:Decorative arts]]
[[Category:Pakistani art]]
[[Category:Pakistani handicrafts]]
[[Category:Indian art]]
[[Category:Road transport in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Road transport in India]]
[[Category:Truck art in Pakistan]]

Truck art in South Asia - Revision history

UDsportHD: added some pg nd citations.