BMW art car
In 1991, South African Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu joined artists such as Andy Warhol and David Hockney to be commissioned by BMW to create an art car for the company’s collection.
Painting the colourful patterns of her cultural heritage on to the exterior of a 525i, Mahlangu became the first African artist to design an art car, dubbed as the first “African Art Car” and showcased at the Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC.
25 years later, Mahlangu has once again collaborated with the German automaker to create a unique model of their flagship 7-series, this time with the 81-year-olds shapes and patterns adorning the panels of the luxury sedan’s interior.
“When BMW sent me the panels to paint, I could see the design in my head and I just wanted to get started!” Mahlangu said during an interview.
“I started by painting the small ones first to get the feel of the surface and then it was easy, and the design follows the lines of the panels.”
The exterior of the 740Li is in BMW Individual Pure Metal Silver, and the interior possessing Smoke White-Colour Merino leather to help accentuate Mahlangu’s vibrant designs.
With the project being aimed at design rather than performance, the 7-series still boasts it’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbocharged engine with a power output of 240kW, and 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds.
The car is now up for silent auction in the UK, with the proceeds from the sale going to the Art Room, a charity that assists children with behavioural and emotional problems through the means of art therapy.
However, art and car lovers will be able to catch a glimpse of Esther’s creation when it is displayed at the Frieze Art Fair in London’s Regent’s Park next month.