Known for micro-realism across fine art and tattooing, Kozokaro created original designs that imagine British pastoral scenes concealed beneath a torn-paper surface, with illustrated Peninsula pages appearing to peel back the cars’ exteriors, revealing landscapes of parkland, animals, rivers, wooded hills and stately homes. This trompe l’oeil effect gives the impression that the sleek, modern machinery of the luxury vehicles is actually a physical barrier hiding a vibrant, idyllic countryside underneath, offering an unexpected visual narrative to London pedestrians and hotel guests alike throughout the month of October.
The six vehicles getting an artful facelift include two Rolls-Royce Phantom IIs, a Bentley Bentayga, an electrified Austin Taxi, a BMW i7 and a LEVC. The hotel’s detailing team at Topaz adapted the artwork to each model’s proportions and applied it as a bespoke vinyl wrap, ensuring that the intricate details of Kozokaro’s illustrations aligned seamlessly with the distinct body lines, door handles, curves, and functional elements of each unique automobile make and model.
“The collection brings past and present into conversation, creating unexpected juxtapositions that allow history and myth to feel alive again,” said Kozokaro, adding that viewers are invited to become part of the story by “journeying within the Art Fleet.”
The artist developed and applied the designs over three months, starting with digital sketches layered onto photographs of each vehicle. The cars’ Peninsula Green livery, curves, doors, hoods and even side reflectors informed the compositions, Kozokaro said, highlighting the meticulous planning required to merge delicate micro-realism with the robust engineering of automotive design. Every fold, shadow, and torn edge was carefully calculated so that the optical illusion of peeling paper would remain convincing whether the vehicles were parked outside the hotel entrance or navigating the bustling streets of the British capital during Frieze week.
Cart Department facilitated the project. Its founder, publisher and art connector Larry Warsh said the hotel was a natural fit because of its long-standing automotive heritage and its fleet of bespoke luxury vehicles. Warsh noted that the intersection of luxury hospitality, automotive excellence, and contemporary art represents an increasingly vibrant cultural frontier, particularly in a city like London during the autumn art season, when collectors, galleries, and enthusiasts converge from around the world.
The Peninsula’s relationship with cars dates back decades, deeply rooted in its flagship properties around the world. Most notably, the connection traces back to Hong Kong, where the legendary hospitality brand commissioned what was then the world’s largest single order of Rolls-Royce Phantoms, establishing a tradition of bespoke guest transportation that has since become a defining hallmark of the Peninsula experience across all its global locations, including its prominent London outpost overlooking Hyde Park Corner and Belgravia.
By temporarily subverting this traditional corporate fleet with avant-garde artistic intervention, the hotel bridges its historical identity with contemporary cultural discourse. The initiative allows international travelers and local Londoners to encounter world-class art outside the traditional white-cube confines of galleries and museum halls, integrating creative expression directly into the rhythm of daily urban life. As the vehicles traverse the city streets throughout October, they function not merely as luxury transport for hotel patrons, but as mobile galleries celebrating the intersection of British pastoral heritage, modern engineering, and cutting-edge contemporary illustration.
