Corvette C7 in gold calligraphy: our collaboration with Diaa Allam

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.

In our workshop: the old film off, the black PPF on

The photographer's series from Al Quoz: the first day of the project, before the artist touched the car.

The Corvette in our Al Quoz workshop, hood open, before the old film comes offPeeling the old black PPF off the door by handThe new black paint protection film goes onto the hoodWith the bumper off: the factory red paint is still untouched under the film

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 fadedThe Corvette in the artist's studio, the first panels already in goldDiaa Allam paints the calligraphy by hand, directly on the black PPFEvery stroke is freehand: no stencils, no printed vinylThe hood takes shapeThe sides get the same treatmentThe roof panel is finished on the floor, where the artist can work all the way around itFinal strokes on the roof panel in front of the carDetail: gold calligraphy over the hood vents on satin black PPFThe finished calligraphy, before the clear protective film goes on top

The artist at work: thirteen more frames

From the first marks on the fresh black film to the rear deck: the same gold, the same hand, panel by panel.

Black PPF finished: the car arrives at the artist's studioDiaa Allam marks out the composition on the fresh black filmThe artist at the front bumper, the first gold on the hoodMixing the gold by the front wingThe first strokes on the hood, freehandWork moves to the rear wheel archBrush and paint cup, the side panelsLetters placed by hand on the rear deckDiaa at the rear deckPainting the rear deck, close upFrom above: the hood half covered in calligraphyFront wing and headlight, gold over blackCalligraphy detail on the door

Step 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.

The result

Under the clear film the gold reads as if it were painted yesterday. Tap a photo to see it full size.

Front view in the studio: the hood is doneThe finished car from aboveThe result in front of Diaa Allam's mural

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.

@diaallam · Instagram

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