Words: Aobh O'Brien-Moody
In association with:
Oxfordshire’s Hedley Studios is a company that can’t be categorised. Rather, it straddles the space between art and automotive excellence, with its decidedly diminutive vehicles that serve as both luxury collectables and functional art pieces.
Now, Hedley Studios is reinforcing its passion for idiosyncratic art, by collaborating with leading New York artist Alex Alpert to create two bespoke and completely unique hand-painted Bugatti Baby II models, each of which comes with a corresponding print signed by the artist.
Each commission marries the timeless elegance and prestige of Hedley Studios’ Bugatti Baby II – the company’s inaugural model and a meticulously engineered reimagining of the Bugatti Type 35 – with Alpert’s distinctive style, which is characterised by free-flowing line variations and detailed shading. For Ben Hedley, Founder and CEO of Hedley Studios, the collaboration was a no-brainer. “Alex Alpert’s art is both thought-provoking and evocative, and this reflects the experience that we aim to deliver for our clients with our pieces of driveable artwork,” he says.
Alpert drew inspiration from iconic visual imagery that has become synonymous with Bugatti over the years – from the centenary of the Bugatti Type 35 to the brand’s home at the Château Saint Jean, and even the Dancing Elephant, designed by Rembrandt Bugatti. The prestigious French marque is honoured through Alpert’s designs, its legacy celebrated while being brought into the modern day.
A painstaking process was required to transform each vehicle into a canvas. Each had a layer finely sanded down so that the acrylic marker paint could be properly applied. Once this had been achieved, the artwork was sealed with a layer of clear coat, finalising the design.
Like every one of Hedley Studios’ creations, Alpert’s reimagined Bugatti Baby IIs are expertly hand-built by master artisans under the visionary guidance of Ben Hedley at the company’s headquarters, Bicester Heritage. Formerly an RAF base from World War II, Bicester Heritage is now also home to an experience centre and showroom, where a client services team is on-hand to deliver a bespoke customer experience. Each client will have the opportunity for a private consultation with Alpert to design and commission a piece that is truly bespoke to their taste and requirements, ready to be installed in their home, garage or office.
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