Corvette C7 in gold calligraphy: our collaboration with Diaa Allam
Some cars come to us for a colour. This one came for a second life of a piece of art. A red Chevrolet Corvette C7 that had worn gold Arabic calligraphy by Diaa Allam for eight years arrived at our workshop with the gold faded, and left with new black paint protection film, new calligraphy by the same artist and a clear film on top to keep it.
A car that was art before it was a wrap
Eight years ago this Corvette C7 stopped looking like a Corvette from the factory. Its original red paint went under a full black paint protection film, and on top of that film Diaa Allam, a UAE artist known for his Arabic calligraphy, painted flowing gold letters across the hood, the roof and the sides. The wrap was only the canvas; the art was the point.
Why it had to be done again
The film itself held up. The gold did not. Eight summers of Dubai sun, sand and washing are a lot for any pigment, and the calligraphy slowly faded until the letters were more memory than design. The owner did not want a different car. He wanted this one, as it was on the first day. So the car came to Desert Diamond, and Diaa came back to the car: our first project together.
Step one: the old film comes off
Paint protection film is designed to be removed, even after years. We warmed the panels and peeled the old black PPF off together with the faded calligraphy. Underneath, the factory red paint was exactly as it had been eight years earlier: that is what the film is for.
Step two: black PPF as the canvas
The new base is again a full black paint protection film, laid panel by panel with the edges tucked under. It gives the artist a perfectly smooth, even surface and keeps the red paint sealed away from the brush, the sun and the road.
Step three: calligraphy by hand
Diaa paints directly on the film, freehand, in his own gold. No stencils, no printed vinyl: every letter is placed by eye to follow the lines of the car. The roof was finished on the floor so he could walk around it; the sides and the hood were done on the car.
Photos from the project
Taking off the old film: after eight years in the Dubai sun the gold had faded
The Corvette in the artist's studio, the first panels already in gold
Diaa Allam paints the calligraphy by hand, directly on the black PPF
Every stroke is freehand: no stencils, no printed vinyl
The hood takes shape
The sides get the same treatment
The roof panel is finished on the floor, where the artist can work all the way around it
Final strokes on the roof panel in front of the car
Detail: gold calligraphy over the hood vents on satin black PPFThe finished calligraphy, before the clear protective film goes on topStep four: a clear film over the art
This is the part the first version never had. Once the gold has cured, the painted panels get a layer of transparent paint protection film on top. The calligraphy ends up sealed between two films: it does not fade, it does not scratch, and the car can be washed like any other. The art should last as long as the owner wants it to, not as long as the sun allows.
More from Instagram
More of the project on our Instagram.
About the artist
Diaa Allam is a UAE-based artist who works with Arabic calligraphy and live art performance. He creates 3D, flat and motion calligraphy that carries messages of excellence, kindness, hard work, generosity and growth.
A former urban planner, he has always been drawn to geometry, mathematics and language, and has spent years refining his own 3D calligraphy and live performance styles. He also experiments with new technologies: NFTs, augmented reality and immersive experiences.
In a world that keeps getting more uniform, he sees Arabic calligraphy as a way to carry the beauty of his language and culture to a wider public, through galleries as much as through new technologies. His belief is simple: art should be seen and shared, because everyone deserves beautiful things.
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