Katrin Fridriks / Bentley's 100th Anniversary / July 2019

In the year of Bentley’s 100-year anniversary the firm’s oldest and largest showroom, Jack Barclay Bentley in Mayfair, has teamed up with Icelandic-born artist Katrin Fridriks for the production of a one-off Continental GT.

The Continental GT is the epitome of Bentley’s ceaseless quest for unrivalled design and an exhilarating, involving drive; it’s a tribute to Bentley’s proud racing heritage and a symbol of its exquisite craftsmanship. With the company's prime focus being on speed, fine precision, and overall excellence, Fridrik’s renowned revolutionary practice of capturing energy through her work is the perfect pairing.

For her conceptualization of the Continental GT, Fridriks decided to follow up on her recent body of work from Grey Area solo exhibition with JD Malat Gallery earlier this year. Utilizing an exceptionally limited color palette between black and white, the artist's intervention allows the bold lines of the car to come through her energetic liquid shapes. The abstract organic forms applied on the elegant surface of the powerful vehicle are following its impeccable design, accenting its raw performance and motion. Taking the "minimalistic" approach and creating an unsymmetrical composition, Fridriks' painterly intervention is adding to the powerful nature of this exceptional hand-crafted machine. Starting with a harmonious flow of marks/splashes on the front and accelerating towards splattering paint on the back, she is offering a different and unique appearance of the car depending on the variety of viewing points. Able to capture the movement of paint in nanoseconds, the precision of her creative process feels like an extension of Bentley's capability to fine-tune every aspect of their celebrated product.

Katrin Fridriks' uniquely painted Continental GT will be revealed on 7th August 2019, later available to view at the JD Malat Gallery on 30 Davies Street, Mayfair and at the iconic Jack Barclay Bentley showroom on Berkeley Square.

‘The Art of Time’: a luxury watches and jewels event held at the JD Malat Gallery further extends the idea of time, precision, and speed, through a presentation of some of the finest timepieces from watch makers such as Bexei Watches amongst other brands. Hosted by 1 of 1 World the entire event will be in aid of “Make a Wish Foundation” and will include the presentation of Fridriks' recent series of work that utilizes the same technique on custom-shaped canvases. Simultaneously, a larger example from her Gene&Ethics series will be presented at Jack Barclay Bentley in Berkeley Square, encompassing the importance of this collaboration and the 100thanniversary of Bentley.