Shahid Mehmood of Shahid Steel Works, has worked as a ‘chamakpatti’ artist for approximately forty years.
He has seen ‘Chamakpatti’ work evolve over time, form the less intricate to the more intricate work aided by technology. Shahid has an established his business Shahid Steel Works and has been amongst the few truck artists who have passed their skill onto their children. His son, Shoaib is also an accomplished chamakpatti artist and his partner artist. Even though this art form has seen an increase interest in recent years, Shahid feels that the most popular of the truck art forms is still ‘phoolpatti’.
They have applied their art on horse drawn carriages seen on the Karachi streets, CNG rickshaws and have also worked on the Quetta Truck Project. Their work also adorns the interior of Truck Adda a Dubai based restaurant. Shahid Steel Works has also participated in the New Islamabad International Airport project.