The beauty of imperfection – Inspired by the Japanese concept Wabi Sabi, a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection, American artist Daniel Arsham has reconceived his original 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster. According to Porsche, it took two years for the designer to bring his vision to life; at the exterior Matthew Ammirati from Bridgehampton Motoring Club and John Willhoit from Willhoit Auto Restoration helped the artist to strip all of the paint from the car, removing the original finish and years of restorations, revealing all of the welds, pit marks of the nearly 70 year old car in their raw, but well-loved state.
“The 356 sits in such an interesting position within the Porsche catalog as the starting point for the heritage brand,” says Arsham. “The nearly 70-year-old vehicle contains the roots of the modern Porsche brand that we know and love in the purest form.”
At the interior, the artist worked alongside Japanese fashion designers Motofumi ‘Poggy’ Kogi and Yutaka Fujihara to outfit the complete interior with traditional Japanese fabrics indigo dyed boro, Sashiko stitched canvas, and Japanese denim produced in Okayama.
“Throughout my career, I have looked to Japan as a source of inspiration for their love and dedication to craft. These sensibilities were the base for the Bonsai 356. We produced all textiles in Japan using traditional craftsmen.” says Arsham in a press release.
As the icon for the 1955 Porsche 356 Bonsai Speedster project, the artist has added a patinated bronze 3D relief in the shape of a Bonsai tree to the engine grille.
The car was unveiled at The Bridge event in the Hamptons, and Porsche Japan plans to exhibit the 356 Bonsai in Tokyo at the end of the year.
Images Courtesy of Porsche
