KARACHI: No matter how many times it has been spoken about, a discussion on truck art always attracts attention as it did on Wednesday during a talk by a professor at the Aga Khan University Hospital.

Organised under a lecture series of the AKU`s Sixth Sense Forum, the lecture by Prof Jamal J. Elias focused on the attitudes and cultural beliefs associated with the art.

Starting off, Prof Elias spoke about how the art revealed more about the cultural, religious and political affiliation of a person. He explained with examples that how notions of class, gender and patriotism took centre stage during the decoration of trucks across Pakistan.

`The art is not unique to Pakistan. It is practised in other countries also. But in our context, it is interesting to know the attachments and the mindset of the people involved in the business.

It is the largest economy in the country,` he said.

Whether it is the picture of a famous Qawwal or a nuclear scientist, the back of a truck always reveals how a person understands himself and his identity.

Showing pictures, he saidthe back of a truck was always full of such innuendos, while the front of thetruck was sophisticated in style, with a few religious references thrown in.Assembled locally, the trucks were mostly Hino and Bedford brands.

One slide in particular needed no explanation as most people in the audience were already laughing after reading a few stanzas written at the back of a truck.

One line said: `Mujhe dollar ki talaash hai,` while another gave a sound advice: `One should rather burn in sunlight than seek a relative`s help.

The front of the truck, however, focuses on Sufi verses. Often mentioned in a reverent manner, the name of the Prophet and God are put on the top of the truck, usually on either side of it.

The decorator, the most important person in the designing process, is usually mentioned on the sides of the truck. `It also carries the city`s name where the truck driver goes for his business among other things,` the professor said.

Speaking about the subtle signs present on the top of the truck, Prof Elias said it usually referred to the missionary affiliation of a person. In other cases, pictures of sub-nationalist heroes were also put up.

`It might seem incomprehensible, but it only makes sense when you see all of it together to understand what the art is all about,` he said.