ISLAMABAD: A two-day “Travelling Bus Painting Project” concluded here on Saturday at the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (NIFTH).

The project was aimed to promote Art and Culture of both countries (Pakistan-Australia) with the participation of youth in the Bus Painting Project.

Talking to APP, Executive Director Lok Virsa Talha Ali said, “The designs on the buses draw parallels between the climate and landscape of Australia and Pakistan”. He said adding the design elements on the two sides of the bus painted as day and night scenes which represent the colloquialism of ‘Down Under’ and the different time zones and opposite seasons in Australia and Pakistan.

Waves, water, and rain a common theme connecting all designs, he shared adding, they represented importance of coastal lines in both countries and the similarities and parallels between the climate and water resources of the two countries. There were also trees and animals that were seen as iconic of Australia, in Pakistan like Kangaroo and Australian cows.

Talha said use of cactus design was also symbolic, representing the resilience and endurance of the people of Australia and Pakistan. The plant was widely used in art as a symbol of resilience that could stand up to the test of times and could thrive in harsh conditions.

The design on the back represented Sydney Harbour ‘Bridge’ connecting (the famous mountains of) Pakistan and Australia (The Three Sisters and K-2).—APP