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Pakistani artist Haider Ali is touring the U.S. and is currently in Washington, DC. Haider spent this past weekend painting for locals in DuPont Circle and friends in DC’s Brookland neighborhood.
The Joint Venture Of Haider and Umair Ahsan:
Umair Ahsan built the unique bus stop benches from a bathtub and two skateboards. Haider then sculptured them with his artistic magic, and the benches underwent a metamorphosis from the mundane into stunning works of art that are now a permanent staple in the community. The benches are currently located at a Washington DC Metro bus stop, where many people gather often.
Passers-by are spotted stopping at the benches to get closer looks at the intricacies of the painting. There is an enormous amount of fanfare and adoration from the locals for Haider’s work. The bench project was funded by the Awesome Foundation – a non-profit in DC that funds artistic projects.
Haider later painted Umair’s car. He also conducted a live interview with Pakistani-American Facebook Live TV host Tina Chaudhary, of Live Gup with Tina. During the interview, Tina noticed a woman’s eyes painted onto Umair’s car & asked Haider if he would paint her eyes somewhere. Haider joked that he would paint her eyes if her fans requested it. The following day he painted Tina’s eyes on the rear of a home in Washington DC.
Haider is the CEO of Phool Patti, an independent social enterprise company, founded by Ali Salman Anchan, working to promote Pakistani Truck Art around the world. Truck art is the art of painting trucks with elaborate artistic scenes. Pakistani Truck Art is very popular in Pakistan but it’s also known all over the world for its unique styles and designs, turning utility trucks into mobile artworks. Some call Ali the Picasso of truck art. He has painted over 200,000 trucks and other objects.
His work has been featured at the esteemed Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. This art form has established its own culture in Pakistan. It’s not only used on trucks, but on various objects as a form of creating more pieces of decor for households as well as art pieces in museums and exhibitions.
Haider Ali and other artists involved with Phool Patti have created several kinds of designs with a fusion of western designs and Pakistani folk designs. The results are gaining popularity with audiences worldwide. People all over the globe email Haider, asking for guidance in replicating his art form to be able to create their own artwork inspired by his talents. He says he’s here to “show Pakistan’s colors to the world.” He has already won over the hearts of DC residents who are enamored by all of his paintings and his god gifted talent.
