Paul Oz, a British artist with a flair for capturing raw energy, has taken the sleek, silver world of Mercedes-AMG Petronas and spun it into vibrant, three-dimensional art that practically screams off the canvas. His work for Mercedes isn’t just about cars—it’s about the pulse of Formula One, the dance of engineering and ambition, rendered in thick, swirling oils that feel like they’re still moving at 200mph. With his signature impasto technique, Oz doesn’t paint; he sculpts speed, piling paint high to mirror the aerodynamic curves and relentless drive of Mercedes’ machines. His work is a love letter to the Silver Arrows, transforming their legacy into bold, tactile masterpieces.
Oz’s Mercedes artworks capture the essence of the team’s dominance, focusing on iconic moments and figures. His portraits of drivers like Lewis Hamilton channel the intensity of a championship battle, with bold strokes of silver and teal that evoke the team’s iconic livery. A standout piece is El Primo II - Wall Of Champions, a dynamic tribute to Hamilton’s resilience at Monaco’s notorious Wall of Champions. This canvas pulses with energy, capturing Hamilton’s W14 slicing through the tight Monaco streets, the silver and teal livery glinting under Mediterranean sunlight. Oz’s impasto strokes pile thick, creating ridges that mimic the car’s aerodynamic wake, while textured splashes evoke the spray of champagne on the podium and the roar of the crowd. The artwork immortalizes Hamilton’s precision and grit, a testament to his mastery in high-pressure moments. Oz’s process often involves live painting at Grands Prix, where he absorbs the roar of the crowd and the gleam of the cars under floodlights, infusing his canvases with that visceral energy.
Oz’s broader work celebrates the team’s technical prowess, with paintings and sculptures that honor the engineering behind their championship machines. He incorporates materials like carbon fibre textures into his mixed-media works, paying homage to the engineers who craft these beasts. His sculptures, depicting Mercedes’ sleek chassis in bronze and resin, reflect the cars’ aerodynamic forms, with some editions weighing up to 160kg. For collectors, his pieces offer signed prints starting at around £445, while hand-embellished canvases begin at £1,295, each a vibrant testament to the team’s legacy of speed and innovation.
What makes Oz’s Mercedes work sing is his knack for bottling the sport’s soul. He’s not just painting logos or liveries; he’s distilling the tension of a qualifying lap, the split-second decisions in a pit stop, the sheer audacity of a DRS overtake. His canvases are as much about the team’s grit as they are about their glamour. From the garage to the podium, Oz’s art captures Mercedes’ essence—speed, precision, and a touch of swagger. Each piece feels like a victory lap frozen in time, ready to ignite the walls of any fan bold enough to hang one.
