Rolls-Royce celebrates the pinnacle of contemporary British craft at London Craft Week

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.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a true luxury house, creating the world’s most recognised, revered and desirable handcrafted Bespoke products for its international clientele. There are over 2,500 people working at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, in West Sussex.

This comprises both its global headquarters and Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence – the only place in the world where Rolls-Royce motor cars are designed, engineered and meticulously built by hand. An independent study by the London School of Economics & Political Science confirms that since the company first launched at Goodwood in 2003, it has contributed more than £4 billion to the UK economy and adds more than £500 million in economic value every year.

Boris Weletzky, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Regional Director in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia, says “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.”