Most artists may aspire to have their works exhibited in world-famous art galleries, but few can say that their artwork is depicted on a Maclaren luxury car. Malaysian artist Jaee Tee, together with Japanese artist Mitsuhiro Higuchi are now amongst those who have that honour with the launch of British luxury automotive manufacturer McLaren’s new art project ‘Roaring into the Future’.
The project is themed on the spirit of the Tiger and its magnum opus is an all-new McLaren Artura (with prices from RM1.05 million onwards) with artwork by Tee and Higuchi on its body.
There is also other tiger-themed artwork on display including two original pieces from Tee and Higuchi as well as five tiger statues representing five universal elements (water, earth, fire, wood, and metal). Next to the paintings and sculptures are QR codes for visitors to immerse themselves in the world of Augmented Reality (AR).
According to her website, Tee’s work has been exhibited across the globe at prestigious venues including the Carrousel Du Louvre in Paris, Fondazione Luciana Matalon, a contemporary art museum in Milan, as well as The National Art Gallery of Maldives. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she is also represented by art galleries with branches located in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
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Meanwhile, Japan-born Mitsuhiro Higuchi is a creative director, art director, designer, photographer and video director in the entertainment and advertising industries who is based in Poland. He has also collaborated with Grammy-award-winning artists such as Ne-yo.
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The collaboration between the two took over five months, with the language barrier being a challenge.
Speaking to Malay Mail, Tee said she chose the tiger as the best animal to “capture the spirit” of the luxurious automobile. “I believe that automobiles are more than just machines, they are also a form of art.
I chose the Tiger as the theme because it reminded me of my childhood memories when my late grandfather would make me memorise the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. For McLaren, I chose the Tiger because to me it represents power, elegance and sheer determination.”
See the video of the collaboration here:
Their artwork is also available on NFT Art Gallery Nscape.
Follow Jaee Tee on Instagram or visit her website.
Image credit: @jaee.tee