ROLLS-ROYCE CELEBRATES THE PINNACLE OF CONTEMPORARY BRITISH CRAFT AT LONDON CRAFT WEEK – AutoMart Canada

•    Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showcases contemporary Bespoke craft at
this year’s London Craft Week
•    Rolls-Royce artisans took
inspiration from the flora and fauna of the British Isles to create an
enchanting woodland scene
•    Artwork will be on display at
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, for the duration of the event, from 12
to 18 May 2025
    
“Uncompromising craftsmanship and
meticulous attention to detail have always defined Rolls-Royce. At the
very heart of our brand lies a deep commitment to creativity and
artisanal excellence. As a name synonymous with perfection,
Rolls-Royce holds London Craft Week – a celebration of the finest
craftsmanship – as a key moment in our annual calendar. For this
year’s event, I am delighted to announce that our highly talented
artisans and designers from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have
created a stunning Bespoke artwork, inspired by the rich and
fascinating variety of wildlife in the United Kingdom. This exquisite
display of creativity and craftsmanship will be on display at our
flagship showroom, in the heart of Mayfair, for the duration of the
event in May.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director, United Kingdom,
Europe, and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Artisans from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have created
an exquisite artwork inspired by the rich and remarkable flora and
fauna of the British Isles, to celebrate the eleventh year of London
Craft Week.

The enchanting woodland scene – a collaboration between makers
from the Interior Surface Centre, the Exterior Surface Centre and the
Interior Trim Centre – captures the beauty of nature at three moments
in time (day, evening and night) as part of a triptych. A Kingfisher
has been cleverly depicted in each scene, using different craft
techniques to capture the character of the bird during the transition
from daytime to nighttime.

SWAN LAKE
Rolls-Royce artisans from the Exterior Surface
Centre spent over 100 hours skilfully recreating a tranquil lakeside
scene, featuring wildlife, plants and invertebrates that thrive in the
aquatic ecosystem. Two elegant swans gliding across the surface of the
water, and a Kingfisher hovering above, have been painted using
freehand brush techniques. 

To create the wild reeds that surround the lake, aluminium was
cut and painted in Iced Orange Metallic and St Tropez using multiple
techniques including airbrushing, wet basecoat manipulation and
dappling – a highly realistic effect enhanced by a crystal clear coat
giving the impression of morning dew.

ENCHANTED WOODLAND
Craftspeople from the Interior Trim
Centre spent over 400 hours recreating the magic of the woodland in
the evening. The fascinating variety of wildlife is showcased through
the application of different techniques on leather. Delicate flowers
resembling daisies were painted onto the Scivaro Grey leather, whilst
tactile, hardier flora species were created using a pioneering
three-dimensional embroidery technique, whereby thread is layered upon
itself to form a self-supporting structure.

Rolls-Royce artisans took further inspiration for the artwork
from the animals commonly found in the forest. Hand painted onto
leather, the animals portrayed include a graceful hare, featuring long
prominent ears and powerful hind legs, and a squirrel with a beautiful
bushy tail. To replicate the texture and volume of the tail, a
technique called tufting was used in which different materials form
pile structures on a backing fabric.

STEALTH AFTER DARK  
Rolls-Royce’s specialists from the
Interior Surface Centre spent over 500 hours carefully cutting,
pressing and assembling beautifully tessellated veneer shapes to
capture the magic of the woodland after dark.

In this third portion of the artwork, a fox is depicted padding
stealthily into the sylvan scene through the use of intricate
marquetry – the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a
structure to form decorative patterns. In a Rolls-Royce first, the
marque’s artisans trialled painted veneers, exquisitely representing
the reddish hue of the fox’s fur and its white-tipped tail. Colour has
been painstakingly applied to ensure the wood grain can still be admired.

The unique triptych captures the essence of woodland life at
three moments in time and is a testament to the marque’s fluency in
Bespoke. This captivating artwork will be exhibited in the window of
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, Berkeley Street, Mayfair, from 12 to 18
May 2025.