If there’s one thing Pakistanis are certain of, it’s that they adore truck art. The painting style has been associated with Pakistan and is considered part of the country’s cultural heritage. Truck art can be found all over the country, from delicately painted khussas to colourful dinnerware, and for good reason. Now there’s a new addition to the list: local artist Haider Ali has given Nike sneakers the distinctive colourful twist, and his designs have been a hit on social media thus far.
Ali paints flowers and kohl-rimmed eyes on the shoes, and lovers of the artist’s work have been wondering where they can acquire a pair, as well as users asking why his masterpieces haven’t been given the chance to be seen.
Ali’s talent has been universally praised on Twitter.
A Twitter profile exhibiting the different treasures of Pakistan’s varied cultural environment uploaded a photo of the shoes.
In June 2020, Ali made waves when he dedicated a magnificent mural to George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. “(What if we’re dark-skinned?) Hum kaaley hain tou kia hua, dil waley hain We have enormous hearts), “according to the mural. “Goron ki na kaalon ki, Dunya dil walon ki” (This world belongs neither to whites nor to blacks, but solely to those with huge hearts) is another proverb.
The starry night background, according to Ali, represents the significance of the colour black.
The night’s black allows us to see the star, and every artist understands the universal significance of black in the universe.
