Phool Paati (capstone project)

Pakistan has a long-standing tradition of ornately decorating their cargo trucks with personal stories, calligraphy, patterns, and poetry. These trucks, called Bedford trucks, came to the country in the 1920s from England because of British control over the country. In the 1940s, truck drivers began making long-haul journeys to carry goods across the country. Drivers also started creating logos to make trucks more easily identifiable, even to the large illiterate portion of the population. Eventually the designs became more ornate and flamboyant. 

I wanted this truck to serve as a symbol of my own journey accepting my Pakistani identity. The truck is painted with personal stories about this dual identity including feeling disconnected to Islam, as well as political events in South Asia that are glossed over by the Western world. The style of painting is known as “phool paati” and is characterized by vibrant maximalist calligraphy, patterns, and poetry. 

With this project I hope to combine the traditions of my family and ancestors with my experience of living as a second-generation immigrant in the US. The ever-moving, rotating symbol of the truck reflects my own growth.

Constructed from wood, window screen, fabric trim, & paint