Trucks and Tuks

A celebration of the Indian subcontinent through its intricately adorned trucks and tuks

White stallions and exotic birds frolic around a waterfall, glamorous Bollywood stars sing, a sunset-silhouetted couple bathe in the ocean―such are the images that adorn the trucks and tuks of the Indian subcontinent. These utilitarian vehicles provide a fertile canvas for the vernacular artists whose color-saturated creativity covers every spare surface.
Over the course of four years, photographer Christopher Herwig (author of Fuel's Soviet Bus Stops series and Soviet Metro Stations) travelled 10,000 kilometers in his quest to record this overlooked art form. He has documented the characteristics of each region; from Pakistan in the north, where intricately painted trucks often have a curved wooden peak at the front, symbolizing a princess' tiara, to Sri Lanka in the south, where tuk tuks might equally be painted with holy deities or the Joker from Batman. The designs reflect a driver's identity, faith and aspirations and span a bewildering range of themes: ideals of masculinity might be intertwined with expressions of love and longing, while bold typography urges drivers to blow their horns or promotes a campaign for the education of girls. Sadly, as a result of government directives, alongside the proliferation of cheap, mass-produced decorations, this vibrant cultural expression is in decline, making this project all the more vital.
Christopher Herwig is a Canadian photographer and videographer currently based in Sri Lanka.