As the whole world is cocooned inside their homes because of the Coronavirus outbreak, it feels good to come across something positive and something which reeks of art. The art in consideration here is a Lexus UX compact SUV but what it sets it apart from the regular Lexus UX? It’s, as Lexus claims, the world’s first tattooed car.
Lexus commissioned a London based tattoo artist who goes by the name Claudia De Sabe and told her to go all artist-y on the UX. She didn’t disappoint the Japanese Marque either and came up with this beautiful mobile work of art. It doesn’t have a price tag yet and is one of a kind. Delving deep into this unique art, this tattooed Lexus UX features a koi, which is a traditional Japanese motif which represents good fortune and perseverance. The ink job wasn’t easy as it took her 6 months to come up with the concept sketches and finally putting the art into reality. All throughout the job, she was assisted by her husband Yutaro. Yutaro specializes in Japanese illustrations and his contribution too is clearly seen in the tattooed car. They run a studio together in London by the name of Red Point Tattoo.
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This was the first time that Claudia was working her magic on metal rather than a human body. She had to swap the regular needle with a Dremel Drill. She used a pure white Lexus UX as her canvas and first used the Dremel drill to peel off the paint and expose the metal underneath. 5-litres of high-quality car paint was used to pull off this job and to give it a finishing touch, she created highlights of a golden leaf to lend it a three-dimensional appeal. When you’re done staring at the beauty of it, you can take it out for a drive too as it was coated with lacquer to make it durable on the road.
The artist in focus, Claudia De Sabe said, “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. 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.”