# Jeepney Art

> The decoration of the Philippine jeepney, the shared taxi built from surplus US Army jeeps after 1945 and later from locally fabricated stainless-steel bodies by firms such as Sarao and Francisco Motors. Owners turn each vehicle into a rolling signboard of airbrushed murals, chrome horses and trim, pinstripes, saints, cartoon heroes, family names and route lettering, competing for passengers in Manila traffic.

- Period: 1946–present
- Where: Southeast Asia
- Origin: Manila and Las Piñas jeepney body-builders, Philippines
- Branch: Traditions & vernacular
- Also known as: Jeepney decoration, Dyipni art
- Page: https://stylogeny.com/styles/jeepney-art/

## How it works

- Treat the whole vehicle as a billboard: run route names along the roof edge, a family or owner's name on the hood and a painted title down the sides.
- Fill side panels with airbrushed murals of landscapes, horses, pin-ups, superheroes and saints, framed by pinstripes and chrome trim.
- Use hardware as ornament: polished stainless-steel bodies, chrome horses on the hood, rows of mirrors, antennas, horns and flags.
- Mix devotional, pop and patriotic imagery without hierarchy, placing the Santo Niño beside cartoon characters and the Philippine flag.
- Letter names in bold shaded or outlined capitals and flowing scripts with strong drop shadows that read at street distance.

## Its design choices

Defining choices make the style, characteristic ones are usual, occasional ones turn up now and then.

### Layout & composition
- [Framed panels](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/framed-panels/) (characteristic)
- [Central symmetry](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/central-symmetry/) (characteristic)
- [Collage & layering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/collage-and-layering/) (occasional)

### Space & hierarchy
- [Horror vacui](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/horror-vacui/) (defining)
- [Flat hierarchy](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-hierarchy/) (occasional)
- [Repetition & rhythm](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/repetition-and-rhythm/) (occasional)

### Typography
- [Hand-lettering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hand-lettering/) (defining)
- [Ornamented display](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/ornamented-display/) (characteristic)
- [Script](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/script/) (characteristic)
- [All caps](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/all-caps/) (characteristic)
- [Eclectic mixing](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/eclectic-mixing/) (characteristic)

### Colour
- [Full polychrome](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/full-polychrome/) (defining)
- [Gradients](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/gradients/) (characteristic)
- [Complementary clash](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/complementary-clash/) (occasional)

### Form & shape
- [Stylised figuration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/stylised-figuration/) (characteristic)
- [Naturalistic depiction](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/naturalistic-depiction/) (occasional)
- [Angular & zigzag](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/angular-and-zigzag/) (occasional)

### Surface & texture
- [Chrome & 3D render](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/chrome-and-3d-render/) (characteristic)
- [Gloss & highlights](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/gloss-and-highlights/) (characteristic)
- [Painterly brushwork](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/painterly-brushwork/) (characteristic)

### Ornament
- [Abundant decoration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/abundant-decoration/) (defining)
- [Emblems & badges](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/emblems-and-badges/) (characteristic)
- [Rules & bars](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rules-and-bars/) (characteristic)
- [Folk & sacred symbols](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/folk-and-sacred-symbols/) (characteristic)
- [Borders & frames](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/borders-and-frames/) (occasional)

### Imagery
- [Painterly illustration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/painterly-illustration/) (characteristic)
- [Comic & cartoon](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/comic-and-cartoon/) (characteristic)
- [Found & vernacular imagery](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/found-and-vernacular-imagery/) (occasional)

### Medium & production
- [Hand-painted](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hand-painted/) (defining)
- [Architecture & signage](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/architecture-and-signage/) (defining)

### Tone & intent
- [Communal & popular](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/communal-and-popular/) (defining)
- [Playful & witty](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/playful-and-witty/) (characteristic)
- [Spiritual & sacred](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/spiritual-and-sacred/) (occasional)

Avoids: Ornament-free, Flat, Generous white space, Monochrome, Modular grid, Rational & objective

Palette: #c9ccd1, #ce1126, #0038a8, #fcd116, #2e8b57, #1b1b1b

Typefaces: Shaded and outlined sign-painter capitals, Flowing brush scripts for names, Airbrushed chrome-effect lettering

Known for: Sarao Motors, Las Piñas (founded by Leonardo Sarao, 1953); Francisco Motors (Anastacio Francisco); Sarao jeepney shown at the Philippine Pavilion, New York World's Fair (1964)

## Where it comes from, and what it’s close to

- Grew out of: [Hand-Painted Signage & Vernacular Lettering](https://stylogeny.com/styles/hand-painted-signage.md) (1800–present)
- Alike in its design choices: [Pakistani Truck Art](https://stylogeny.com/styles/pakistani-truck-art.md) (1947–present), 77% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Picó Sound-System Painting (Colombian Caribbean)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/pico-sound-system-art.md) (1967–present), 71% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Matatu & Nganya Art](https://stylogeny.com/styles/matatu-art.md) (1990–present), 70% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Fileteado Porteño](https://stylogeny.com/styles/fileteado-porteno.md) (1890–present), 65% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Indian Calendar & Bazaar Art](https://stylogeny.com/styles/calendar-art-india.md) (1878–present), 63% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Graffiti & Hip-Hop Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/hip-hop-graffiti.md) (1972–present), 61% alike

## Real works

- [Sarao Motors jeepney with 'Mabuhay' roof board](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1988_Jeepney_(47410757451).jpg): Sarao Motors, Las Piñas, 1988, Southward Car Museum, Paraparaumu (photograph by Sicnag on Wikimedia Commons)
- [Jeepney on the Lapu-Lapu–Cebu route](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philippines-1981-37_hg.jpg): Unknown body-builder and sign painter, photographed 15 November 1981, Wikimedia Commons (photograph by Hannes Grobe)
- [Sarao jeepney at the Sarao Motors works, Las Piñas](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sarao_Jeepney_(42820651692).jpg): Sarao Motors, photographed 2 June 2018, Wikimedia Commons (photograph by Alan & Flora Botting)
- [Three route jeepneys ('Yahweh El Shaddai', 'Pinagsama', 'Mary Rose') at the Market! Market! terminal](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jeepneys.jpg): Owner-commissioned bodies and signs; 'Mary Rose' plated by Reyes Motors, photographed 21 March 2015, Wikimedia Commons (photograph by Aerous)

## Sources

- Wikipedia, ‘Jeepney’ (history of the auto calesa, Sarao and Francisco Motors)
- Top Gear Philippines / Esquire Philippines, ‘What happened to Sarao Motors?’ (2020)

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From Stylogeny (https://stylogeny.com/), an atlas of graphic-design styles by Van Riel Online Services. How it is made: https://stylogeny.com/about/. Cite as: Stylogeny, “Jeepney Art”, https://stylogeny.com/styles/jeepney-art/