Rolls-Royce has unveiled a series of six one-of-one Phantom Extended Series II motor cars with each car featuring a unique Gallery artwork, hand-painted by Jafri, inspired by one of the five traditional elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Air – plus a sixth, Humanity..
Rolls-Royce has unveiled its unique Bespoke series Phantom ‘The Six Elements’ at a private gala ceremony in Dubai, UAE.
This unprecedented project, initiated by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Abu Dhabi, comprises six Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Series II motor cars, each one entirely individual and featuring its own specially-commissioned artwork, hand-painted by one of the world’s most influential living painters, British artist Sacha Jafri, who is based between Dubai, London, and New York.
These stunning works of art are displayed in the Gallery, the unique glass-enclosed space running the length of Phantom's fascia. Each is inspired by one of the five traditional elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Air. The sixth, Humanity, references Sacha Jafri's best-known work, ‘The Journey of Humanity’, which holds the official Guinness World Record for the largest painting ever produced on canvas.
“Through my work I aim to combine the power of art with a stripped-back essence of expression, love, empathy, and intention, to inspire a more conscious and intention-filled humanity, striving for a reconnected world; reunited by the common goal of a more hopeful and sustainable future for our planet,” said Sacha Jafri, talking about the project.
Phantom ‘The Six Elements’ was designed, developed and hand-crafted by the Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, in collaboration with the resident Bespoke designer in the Rolls-Royce Private Office in Dubai. The project began in late 2020 and has taken two years to complete.
As well as their individual Gallery artworks, the cars feature a number of additional Bespoke elements reflecting Rolls-Royce’s unrivalled capabilities. These include Jafri’s personalised Heart-motif in the hand-painted Coachline, and a unique Six-Elements engraved base for each car's Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.
Michelle Lusby, Bespoke Lead Designer based at the Rolls-Royce Private office in Dubai, says, “For us as Bespoke designers, it’s a wonderful privilege to work with a world-renowned artist like Sacha Jafri. We saw this project as a unique opportunity for an exchange of ideas between the art world and our own specialisms in design, materials and craftsmanship; that sense of discovery and shared inspiration really shines out from these amazing cars.”
Phantom ‘The Six Elements’ was born out of a conversation between Sacha Jafri, who frequently donates his works, or the proceeds from them, to charity, and César Habib, Regional Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Middle East & Africa. Together, they developed the idea of creating six individual motoring masterpieces, which could become a means to donate funds for charities operating in the fields of health, sustainability and education.
Accordingly, each car features not only its own original Jafri artwork, but also its own unique NFT, which the owner may sell independently if they choose to do so. With every trade of the NFT, a royalty will be paid into a digital wallet, raising funds for the future charitable donations. The owner can view the NFT using a bespoke Jafri Heart-motif QR code embedded within their motor car’s glove compartment.
Sacha Jafri commented, “It has been an absolute honour working with the Rolls-Royce team and their Bespoke Designers to create such a unique project. It’s a proud moment, to see my Heart-Logo along the coachline of each of the six cars in this stunning Rolls-Royce series, the first bespoke artist-created series for Rolls-Royce, with the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ uniquely featuring my depicted six elements around its base. However, I am most fulfilled by the immediate excitement and interest in this series, the elite group of owners and philanthropists now dedicated to our cause, and the creation of the ‘Rolls-Royce that keeps on giving’, forever raising money and awareness for the charitable concerns that are closest to my heart.”
At the unveiling, it was announced that the project, at stage one of its journey, has already substantially exceeded its initial $1 million target, with all six motor cars allocated to customers in Dubai and the wider Middle East region.
