By Christopher Herwig. Edited by Damon Murray, Stephen Sorrell. Introduction by Riya Raagini.
A celebration of the Indian subcontinent through its intricately adorned trucks and tuks
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 color-saturated creativity covers every spare surface. Over the course of four years, photographer Christopher Herwig (author of Fuel's Soviet Bus Stops series and Soviet Metro Stations) travelled 10,000 kilometers in his quest to record this overlooked art form. He has documented the characteristics of each region; from Pakistan in the north, where intricately painted trucks often have a curved wooden peak at the front, symbolizing a princess' tiara, to Sri Lanka in the south, where tuk tuks might equally be painted with holy deities or the Joker from Batman. 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. Christopher Herwig is a Canadian photographer and videographer currently based in Sri Lanka.
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
The Guardian
Riya Raagini
Photographer Christopher Herwig has travelled 10,000km in his quest to record this overlooked art form. He has documented the characteristics of each region – from Pakistan in the north to Sri Lanka in the south. 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.
Design Boom
Thomai Tsimpou
The decorated vehicles of the Indian subcontinent are saturated with imagery of white stallions galloping beneath waterfalls, Bollywood stars bursting into song, sunset lovers silhouetted against the sea, or divine figures sharing space with cartoon villains. Every surface is covered, from bumpers to windshields, revealing an improvisational artistry that is at once deeply personal and immediately public.
Domus
Francesca Critelli
For now, truck art is still rolling on South Asian roads, but Herwig’s photographic work—showing not only the art itself but also the drivers “proud to display their vehicles,” as he says—may end up being the legacy of an artistic movement we will slowly see disappear.
Wallpaper*
Jonathan Bell
Arranged typographically, this is a wonderful survey of an overlooked typology, one that might find itself sliding even further into redundancy as the electric era dawns.
Blag
The book is Herwig's love letter to this diverse and widespread artform, beautifully presented, and full of images that each tell their own story.
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Featured photographs—the first two taken in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the third in Jaipur, India—are from new release, Trucks and Tuks: Decorated Vehicles of South Asia, the follow-up to Christopher Herwig’s 2015 international photobook sensation, Soviet Bus Stops. Herwig writes, “Like the many bus stops I photographed across the former Soviet Union, this project celebrates individuality, improving one’s surroundings with creativity and the value of being able to escape our everyday situation through dreams. While based in Colombo over a period of years, I traveled the region exhaustively: from the towering Hindu Kush Mountains of Pakistan to the tranquil beaches of Sri Lanka. Unlike the bus stops, the trucks’ constant movement made them an exciting challenge to hunt down. On a typical day, I might encounter thousands of trucks at numerous locations. Presented with so much amazing material, it was a constant dilemma whether to stop and spend time photographing, or to keep moving, hoping for something even more extraordinary a little further down the road!” continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 8 x 6.5 in. / 208 pgs / 190 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $34.95 LIST PRICE: CANADA $48.95 ISBN: 9781739887889 PUBLISHER: FUEL Publishing AVAILABLE: 9/9/2025 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: NA ONLY
Published by FUEL Publishing. By Christopher Herwig. Edited by Damon Murray, Stephen Sorrell. Introduction by Riya Raagini.
A celebration of the Indian subcontinent through its intricately adorned trucks and tuks
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 color-saturated creativity covers every spare surface.
Over the course of four years, photographer Christopher Herwig (author of Fuel's Soviet Bus Stops series and Soviet Metro Stations) travelled 10,000 kilometers in his quest to record this overlooked art form. He has documented the characteristics of each region; from Pakistan in the north, where intricately painted trucks often have a curved wooden peak at the front, symbolizing a princess' tiara, to Sri Lanka in the south, where tuk tuks might equally be painted with holy deities or the Joker from Batman. 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.
Christopher Herwig is a Canadian photographer and videographer currently based in Sri Lanka.
