A boundary-pushing collaboration which brings to life an exceptional convergence of art and craftsmanship, Rolls-Royce Phantom ‘The Six Elements’ series was unveiled at a private gala event in Dubai.

The event was attended by clients and dignitaries; Artist Sacha Jafri; Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; and César Habib, the company’s Regional Director Middle East & Africa.

‘The Six Elements’ elevates the nascent legacy of Phantom Gallery. Comprising six one-of-one Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II Extended motor cars, each features a unique, hand-painted Sacha Jafri Gallery, distilling the most potent components of nature: Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Air alongside the sixth element, Humanity. As each of the six unique motoring masterpieces was unveiled, audiences immersed themselves in the emotions suggested by each elemental force represented.

“Through my work I aim to combine the power of art with a stripped-back essence of expression, love, empathy, and intention, to inspire a more conscious and intention-filled Humanity, striving for a reconnected world; reunited by the common goal of a more hopeful & sustainable future for our planet,” said Sacha Jafri.

THE PINNACLE OF BESPOKE

Selected for his inimitable vision, style and use of colours, Sacha Jafri hand-painted each unique Phantom Gallery for ‘The Six Elements’. The addition of Humanity as an element builds on the ethos of the British artist’s works around the traditional five elements. For Sacha Jafri, each element evokes different emotions, spirit, energy and purpose and ‘The Six Elements’ seek to reflect these.

‘The Six Elements’ model in breathtaking Orange Metallic houses the ‘Fire’-inspired Gallery which represents passion and belief. ‘Fire’ is balanced by ‘Earth’, with ‘The Six Elements’ in gunmetal suggesting grounding and roots. ‘The Six Elements’ in a stunning Mindoro Green exterior with Grace White interior evokes an appreciation for ‘Air’, the essence of life and the Witterings Blue exterior of ‘The Six Elements’ ‘Wind’, enhanced by the Arctic White single short coachline, suggests the sentiment of freedom. Feelings of lyricism and fluidity are awakened by the Arabian Blue of the ‘Water’-inspired Phantom, while the final ‘The Six Elements’ model - an Andalusian White Phantom - is inspired by ‘Humanity’ and reflects love, empathy and ‘the linking of souls, said the company.

A further individual touch is the subtly different coachline adorning each motor car, with the word on the right-hand side of Jafri’s heart motif indicating which elemental force inspired that particular expression. ‘The Six Elements’ also feature an engraved Spirit of Ecstasy base, rotated to indicate Jafri’s relevant elemental force.

Michelle Lusby, Bespoke Lead Designer based at the Rolls-Royce Private office in Dubai, says: “For us as Bespoke designers, it’s a wonderful privilege to work with a world-renowned artist like Sacha. We saw this project as a unique opportunity for an exchange of ideas between the art world and our own specialisms in design, materials and craftsmanship; that sense of discovery and shared inspiration really shines out from these amazing cars.”

MINDFUL OF MANY

While Rolls-Royce motor cars is designed for the few, the marque is mindful of the many. Phantom ‘The Six Elements’ was born out of a conversation between Sacha Jafri, who frequently donates his works or their proceeds to charity, and César Habib. Together, they developed the idea of creating six individual motoring masterpieces, which became a means to donate funds for charities operating in the fields of health, sustainability, and education. During the event, the donation of $1.23 million was divided among the following four charities that were announced:

Surgeons for Little Lives – South Africa: The donation will support paediatric surgeons in South Africa who are passionate about uplifting the lives of children in need of life-changing surgery and bring the much-required support for the ‘Surgeons for Little Lives’ fellowship of Paediatric Oncology Surgery Training as well as to the oncology patients’ aftercare programme.

Harmony House – India: A non-profit organisation that strives to improve the lives of children on a physical, emotional, and intellectual level and aims to give enriching and memorable experiences to each and every child. ‘The Six Elements’ donation will support the Resident Doctor and Nurse programme to support as many children as possible and their families with much needed medical care.

The Beekeepers Foundation – UAE: A non-profit organisation with an objective to educate the public about the importance of bees in the ecosystem. The donation will focus on educating school students about the importance of sustainable beekeeping, and the vital role of bees in the environment and their importance for mankind and food security. All educational workshops will be held at the Rolls Royce Apiary, located at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.

Beit el Baraka – Lebanon: The vision of Beit el Baraka is to ensure dignity to hard working Lebanese citizens by assisting them in their struggle with the increasing cost of living. In a spirit of respect and support, Beit el Baraka gives them access to food, decent livelihood, medical services and education. This non-profit organisation will benefit from ‘The Six Elements’ donation to support the ‘Forsa’ program. Forsa or ‘chance’ covers the tuition fees of the most vulnerable children in Lebanon.