Mohammed Kazem and some of Rolls-Royce's talented craftspeople sharing creative thoughts Mohammed Kazem and some of Rolls-Royce's talented craftspeople sharing creative thoughts Mohammed Kazem and some of Rolls-Royce's talented craftspeople sharing creative thoughts Mohammed Kazem and some of Rolls-Royce's talented craftspeople sharing creative thoughts

Inspiring Minds

When renowned Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem visited the Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Goodwood, he spent time getting to know the company’s skilled craftspeople. It was a meeting of creative minds and ideas that provided rich inspiration for both parties were shared.

Two of Rolls-Royce's talented designers sharing creative thoughts

The Genesis of an Idea

There is an innate link between art and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. True art represents creative freedom, a strong vision and the focus to express oneself in order to make that vision a reality. 

Indeed, Rolls-Royce craftspeople and artists share the same spirit. Whether a sculpture, a painting or a Bespoke car, each of these mediums have a meaning and presence far greater than the item itself.

When these two worlds meet it can be truly inspiring. When conceptual and interdisciplinary artist Mohammed Kazem visited Rolls-Royce’s headquarters at Goodwood, he brought with him the genesis of an idea.

Kazem’s Directions Series work, integrates the geographical coordinates of people, places and objects. He uses these in multiple ways to reflect the changing global landscape. These data points are the inspiration behind the sculpture is creating for The Rolls-Royce Art Programme.

At Goodwood, Kazem was inspired by the parallels he saw between his work and that of the marque’s craftspeople. Kazem’s contemporary artistic vision and intriguing Directions Series work compelled Rolls-Royce Bespoke designers, Michael Bryden and Victor Braun, to create a very special motor car.

Mohammed Kazem and some of Rolls-Royce's talented craftspeople working and sharing creative thoughts
One of the pieces from Kazem’s Directions Series. The artwork includes geographical coordinates of people, places and objects to reflect the changing global landscape
One of the pieces from Kazem’s Directions Series. The artwork includes geographical coordinates of people, places and objects to reflect the changing global landscape

Mohammed Kazem is renowned for combining technology and traditional practices to produce works that have a sense of harmony. They are influenced by the social, political and natural environments he encounters while travelling.

“It was very important for me to see the craftspeople at Goodwood. The way they work, the way they touch and use the materials and their movements,” he says.

“I was fascinated by the idea of these individuals coming together from different directions, cultures, ideas and social groups to create a motor car at this one global centre of excellence. I saw the car as the meeting point of these ideas, crafts and creative skills.”

Kazem used GPS to map out an incredible 5,000 individual coordinates of the home locations of each employee. These data points have been melted together to form an abstract sculpture – made from stainless steel, it represents the meeting of creative talent involved in creating a Rolls-Royce motor car.

“My work captures elements of the place, the environment and the atmosphere,” he says. “I create something that has a relation to the place and which brings multiple meanings to the various coordinates I collect.”

Two of Rolls-Royce's talented craftspeople sharing creative thoughts

Appetite for Expression

Just as Kazem was inspired by the many craftspeople he met at The Home of Rolls-Royce, so too did he inspire them. A Bespoke Wraith is being crafted from the same conceptual foundation – one work of art inspiring the other. The Bespoke Design team, led by Michael Bryden, found great creative opportunity in Kazem’s work. “We were particularly taken by the feel of Mohammed’s Direction Series,” says Bryden. “We really wanted to embody its contemporary nature and the use of striking colours in this motor car.” 

 

And so, both the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design team and artist were motivated by each other’s ideas and appetite for expression. 

 

Bryden and his team are finding ways to reflect Kazem’s work in the Bespoke Wraith. “We were inspired by his artwork and are finding creative ways to use coordinates throughout the car,” he says, “most prominently in the Bespoke Starlight Headliner.”

Rolls-Royce's cobalt blue leather.
Two of Rolls-Royce's talented designers sharing creative thoughts and designs
Rolls-Royce's black finished leather.
Rolls-Royce's cobalt blue leather.
Two of Rolls-Royce's talented designers sharing creative thoughts and designs
Rolls-Royce's black finished leather.

This creative process proved a unique experience for both parties. Kazem points to his delight at watching the craftspeople work, and in being able to look at, touch and interact with the various Bespoke materials that Rolls-Royce uses. 

“I was interested to see the way they studied the theme of my Directions Series work – the colours, the compositions and so on – and were able to bring it to life in their motor car. They had the freedom to create any way they liked, yet the way that certain aspects such as the Starlight Headliner use light and symmetry, captures the concept well and is relevant to the sculpture.” 

“Once you start creating a Bespoke Rolls-Royce, it’s almost beyond the idea of a car,” says Bryden. “It’s a creation that begins its life in the Design Studio and then works its way through the leather shop, the paint shop and the wood shop. Every pair of hands it passes through ensures that the core creative concept is accurately reflected in the final product. 

“The idea of coordinates has created a very special motor car. All of the subtleties, all the small details were borne of our close collaboration and will be easily apparent once both works are displayed. There’s a story to each detail.”

On the right, the threads used to produce Rolls-Royce's luxurious weave. On the right, a dark brown weave.

There is an Aura to the Work

“I use technology and more conventional, handcrafted methods,” Kazem states. “The sculpture has been worked on at Sitterwerk in Switzerland, where I collaborated with Marc Krcek, Production Co-ordinator using highly technological methods, and there are two or three parts of the process. There’s a beauty to the mixture of technology and hand-crafting skills – it’s very similar to how Rolls-Royce works.”

Bryden adds: “Within Rolls-Royce there is a unique combination of hand-crafting skills – particularly with the Starlight Headliner – and technology that brings out exceptional detail. Mohammed is right, the combination of modern and conventional creative skills is something that we definitely share.”

Ultimately, there is no distinction between car and sculpture, or between the works of an artist or a craftsperson. Both works will form a singular concept when shown together – one that is only possible through the collaboration of creative minds. 

“With our Bespoke skills you can create art,” Bryden says. “When the car and the sculpture are viewed together Mohammed’s concept will be easily apparent.”

“There is an aura to the work,” Kazem states, “The directions come together to create an infinity of meaning.”

Mohammed Kazem and some of Rolls-Royce's talented craftspeople sharing creative thoughts

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