The streets of London are currently home to art on the move—literally. In collaboration with Brooklyn-based artist Kozo and Cart Department, The Peninsula London has transformed six of its signature green vehicles into A World Within, a traveling exhibition that intertwines mythology, history, and contemporary art.
Photography courtesy of The Peninsula London
Timed to coincide with Frieze London, the exhibition brings Kozo’s artwork onto the streets of the city. The cars retain their signature Peninsula Green, which serves as the backdrop for Kozo’s graphic illustrations. Conceived as one continuous story, the designs draw on the hotel’s history, the wider Peninsula brand, and its British surroundings.
The Peninsula Pages, white-uniformed attendants, appear to peel back the exterior of each vehicle, revealing historical scenes underneath. Grazing animals, stately homes, and winding rivers appear in subtle greens and grays that complement the fleet’s existing color, while classical motifs such as the Guardian Lions and British landmarks like Wellington Arch connect the hotel to its surroundings.
Photography courtesy of The Peninsula London
The contrast between the three-dimensional landscapes and the flatter, monochromatic figures creates a distinction between past and present. The result reflects Kozo’s intention to bring history and myth back to life, inviting viewers to become part of the story as they travel in the Art Fleet.
Creating A World Within required Kozo to adapt his experience in painting and tattoo art to an atypical surface. Starting by digitally sketching over photographs of each vehicle, he developed illustrations guided by each car’s curves and angles. The shape and size of each hood, door, and trunk determined how the imagery unfolded across the body. Rather than fighting the existing elements, Kozo worked them into the graphics, using each car’s contours to guide his design choices. The finished artwork was translated into bespoke vinyl wraps, which were applied by detailing experts at Topaz.
Photography courtesy of The Peninsula London
“A car is not a blank white canvas,” Kozo explains. “This project forced me to translate my language as a painter and tattoo artist onto a moving vessel.”
The collection includes two Rolls-Royce Phantoms, a Bentley Bentayga, an electrified Austin Taxi, a BMW i7, and a LEVC, all bookable for guest transportation throughout October. Together, the six vehicles connect The Peninsula’s longstanding automotive tradition with contemporary art, turning an everyday journey through London into an encounter with the hotel’s history.
Photography courtesy of The Peninsula London
A World Within is on view through Oct. 31, with all six vehicles available for booking by guests of The Peninsula London.
