Pakistan’s renowned truck art will move from the highways to the skies, as a flying academy has decorated a two-seater Cessna aircraft using the colourful technique.
In recent times, Pakistan’s colourful truck art has grown increasingly popular in the West. With elaborate and flamboyant motifs, Pakistani truck art has inspired gallery exhibitions abroad and prompted stores in Western cities to sell miniatures. In fact, UNESCO has been using this unique art blended with indigenous motifs to communicate messages on girls’ education in Kohistan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“We want to show the world that Pakistan is not all about Financial Action Task Force and terrorism issues; it’s a very diverse country and a land of opportunities,” says Imran Aslam Khan, chief operating officer of Sky Wings, a flight training organisation.
He also plans to paint other aircraft, with the aim of promoting tourism in Pakistan.
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“The world is familiar with our truck art representation; now, with this aircraft, our colours will fly in the air. We are really excited,” said Haider Ali, the artist painting the aircraft.
Ali who is now 40, has been decorating trucks since his childhood. He was trained by his father and now he is one of the most prominent such painters in Pakistan.
He also hopes to paint an Airbus or Boeing aircraft in the future, saying an opportunity to work on such gargantuan planes would truly be a learning experience.