Photographer Christopher Herwig captures a dying art on the Indian sub-continent, from trucks in Pakistan to tuk tuks in Sri Lanka:
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 colour-saturated creativity covers every spare surface...
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.
[Photos © Christopher Herwig]
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Mick Hartley 
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