“Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai is accustomed to innovative artforms, and the new Carbon Veil is an exquisite addition to the Phantom Gallery. The construction technique, which involves applying 150 carbon fibre sheets, is genuinely ground-breaking; the result is ultra-stylish, contemporary and beautiful, and perfectly attuned to the aesthetic sensibilities of the Emirate of Dubai.”
Mamdouh Khairallah, General Manager, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai, AGMC
“It required a huge amount of experimentation to produce the Carbon Veil Gallery. The main challenge in creating the shape was ensuring that the weave of the carbon fibre remained horizontal and parallel throughout. It had to be perfect – because this is a Rolls‑Royce.”
Alastair Gibson, carbon fibre artist and sculptor
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai, AGMC, is delighted to present a truly remarkable example of Bespoke artwork created for the marque’s pinnacle product, Phantom. The Carbon Veil has been specially developed for the Gallery area in the fascia, a feature unique to Phantom, where owners can choose to display an original work of art or design.
The Carbon Veil, which took two years to create, is made from carbon fibre. For most automotive applications, just three or four layers are used. For Rolls-Royce Phantom, no fewer than 150 sheets were permeated with resin and compressed to form a single, solid billet.
The work was commissioned and designed by the Rolls‑Royce Bespoke Collective based at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England, and realised by artist and sculptor Alastair Gibson, who combines knowledge and expertise gained in Formula 1 to create his carbon fibre masterpieces.
The Carbon Veil introduces a highly contemporary note to Phantom’s interior, with sharp, angular surfaces and the distinctive woven surface synonymous with innovation, technology and performance. Depending on the client’s preference, the carbon fibre is finished in either clear or matte lacquer which brings out the weave pattern and protects it from harmful ultra-violet rays. The whole piece is sealed under a single pane of glass.
Each Phantom Gallery is individually assembled in the Clean Room at Goodwood. Completed in 2020, this medical-grade facility provides a 100% sterile environment where Bespoke items and other delicate components can be produced entirely free of dust and particles.
The gunmetal exterior is bolstered with an iced finish with gunmetal contrast bonnet, while the coachline and waftline are accented in a vivid mandarin orange. At the helm of the bonnet proudly stands the Spirit of Ecstasy crafted from carbon fibre.
Within the interior, the anthracite brightwork provides moments of contrast, along with the colour-keyed rotary controls and leather detailing. The dark tones and light leather flourishes beautifully accent the Veil Gallery upon the Phanton’s fascia. The flawless Black Pack elements on the exterior include an alluring black trim on the windows, the grille and the exhausts.
The Gallery is a space protected behind glass. This space affords the opportunity to introduce sharp and aggressive forms, which are unprecedented for a vehicle interior. The design of the faceted milled carbon fibre sculpture was originally inspired by the angular, aggressive, stealthy shapes of the 118 WallyPower.
The very attitude and nature of the Gallery has been extended to the other Bespoke details on both the exterior and interior of the Phantom it resides within. With a highly contemporaneous edge, the vehicle exemplifies the spectrum of Bespoke potential, with Phantom as a canvas quite like no other.
Alastair Gibson’s artwork is highly prized by collectors in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and in his native South Africa, and can be viewed in galleries around the world.
