Japanese brand Lexus have commissioned London-based tattoo artist Claudia De Sabe to create a one-of-a-kind tattoo design on their UX compact SUV.
This landmark creation marks the first-ever car to get “inked.” The Tattooed Lexus features a koi fish integrated into its design with De Sabe swapping out her tattoo gun for a Dremel tool to help drill the design into this one-off SUV’s body and lend it that engraved effect. She also hand-painted the car and even incorporated gold leaf elements to make it stand out. It took a cool six months to accomplish this feat, with De Sabe pulling eight-hour shifts, five days a week to etch out the actual tattoos on to the UX.
Speaking regarding this unique project, De Sabe said, “When you tattoo a person, you have to think about the muscles and tissue beneath the skin. With the car it was about the way the bodywork changes shape over the framework.”
The best thing about tattooing the Lexus UX, and the reason why this car was ideal for the project, is its streamlined shape. Everything from the lines on the side of the body to the shape of the windows, everything is just so dynamic and beautiful. It was a perfect fit for the design and the concept itself. ”
The transformation from plain white car to inked work of art was Lexus’ attempt at paying tribute to the ‘Takumi’ expert craftsmanship that goes into the making of every car rolling off their production line. Whatever the motivation, the result is a staggering piece of art that Lexus estimate to be valued at £120,000 or just a shade over Rs 1 crore at the time of writing.
