Eye-Catching Fleet of ‘Trucks and Tuks’ Spotted While Motoring Throughout Southeast Asia
For decades, humble vehicles across South Asia have served as mobile canvases for local artists, layering every inch with bursts of colour and imagination. The facades of the tired and dusty automobiles are often decorated with vibrant scenes of exotic birds, animals and scenery. Over four years and 10,000 kilometres, photographer Christopher Herwig – known for capturing Soviet Bus Stops and Metro Stations – documented this unique tradition in his latest project titled Trucks and Tuks.
Herwig’s journey stretched from Pakistan, where trucks often sport a wooden crest called a ‘princess’ tiara’, to Sri Lanka, where tuk tuks display everything from sacred deities to comic book villains like the Joker. Each decoration reflects the driver’s identity, beliefs, and dreams. Some showcase ideals of masculinity or tender declarations of love, while bold slogans might urge road safety or champion girls’ education. Sadly, government regulations and cheap, mass-produced stickers now threaten this rich folk art. Herwig’s project shines a light on a vanishing tradition, preserving a dazzling, everyday creativity that is woven into South Asia’s roads and culture.
*’Trucks and Tuks’ is now available from most online sellers and in select stores.
More info: Instagram | ChristopherHerwig | TrucksandTuks | FUEL
#1 Lahore, Pakistan
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#2 Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#3 Battaramula, Sri Lanka
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#4 Kalimati, Nepal
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#5 “Trucks and Tuks”
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#6 Dhaka, Bangladesh
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#7 Jodhpur, India
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#8 Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#9 Kathmandu, Nepal
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#10 Ahangama, Sri Lanka
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#11 Attock, Pakistan
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#12 Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#13 Lahore, Pakistan
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#14 Jodhpur, India
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
#15 Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
Image Source: ChristopherHerwig
Got wisdom to pour?