Katya Traboulsi, a Lebanese multimedia artist, deeply rooted in Lebanese culture and tradition, showcases this connection vividly in her works Bonjour, 2023 and Helo Ya Rawak, 2023. Through these pieces, she highlights the symbolic significance of the Lebanese pick-up truck as a representation of the nation’s identity and rich cultural heritage.

Lebanese pick-up trucks, adorned with brightly colored calligraphy and intricate designs, serve as more than just vehicles for transportation. They are canvases of cultural expression and symbols of protection for the drivers traversing the country’s roads daily. Often featuring phrases and symbols rooted in Lebanese heritage, these trucks reflect the drivers’ beliefs, values, and hopes for safe travels amidst the inherent risks of the road.

Traboulsi’s exploration of symbolism in Lebanese truck art expands to encompass broader themes of history, migration, and national identity. Drawing inspiration from the diverse geographical and aesthetic characteristics of Lebanese trucks, Traboulsi’s ironworks pay homage to Tripoli, the trucks’ origin point, while reflecting her own cultural influences. Her artwork captures and embodies the aesthetic traditions that link Lebanon’s northern region to the rest of the country, incorporating distinctive vernacular styles, traditional calligraphy and abstracted floral motifs and birds inspired by cultural imagery unique to Lebanese pick-up trucks. In essence, these trucks serve as vital channels of connection and communication, despite not always being apparent. Messages proliferate on their back doors or tailgates—offering advice, jokes, warnings, declarations of love, prayers, and protections against the evil eye. Through her work, Traboulsi intertwines themes of solidarity, superstition, and love.

In moments of shared experience, such as during a traffic jam, these messages foster connections among strangers, eliciting smiles, imparting lessons, and prompting deep reflection. In this way, as portrayed by Traboulsi, the trucks become more than mere vehicles; they become vessels of cultural exchange, fostering moments of connection, learning, and introspection.

Situated within recent Lebanese history and popular culture, Katya Traboulsi’s practice revolves around themes of identity and diversity. In her artwork Perpetual Identities, 2018, the artist aimed to repurpose mortars, originally symbols of war, into representations of peace and cultural diversity. Each mortar incorporated imagery and materials from a variety of symbolic cultures, emphasizing the importance of identity. Similarly, in the artist’s embrace of trucks, Lebanese culture, resilience and identity are celebrated in distinct ways, shifting the focus from ignorance to appreciation.