Cleveland, Ohio-born artist Daniel Arsham is a student of Japanese craftsmanship, and has endeavored to deliberately embody that spirit in this freshly-finished 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster build, called Bonsai. If you’re not familiar with the concept of Wabi-sabi, it is centered on the ideals of transience and imperfection. It is the appreciation of things which are imperfect, incomplete, or impermanent. I practice a similar appreciation of the concept with my own rough and tumble 912E, and as a result I appreciate this 356 all the more. Arsham has done a tremendous job of ensuring this car looks elegantly disheveled, while ensuring it is mechanically perfect underneath. What more could you want?
The interior was crafted with help from Japanese fashion designers Motofumi ‘Poggy’ Kogi and Yutaka Fujihara, using traditional Japanese fabrics and techniques. The indigo boro patchwork of the seats and the boot cover are quite interesting to see, giving depth to what would be an otherwise sterile interior. The trim on the outsides of the seats and the door trims is an indigo-dyed cotton fabric with sashiko-stitched linear details. And the third fabric used, and perhaps the most interesting of the lot, is the Japanese selvedge denim used to upholster the convertible top roof of the car. It’s a unique addition to the car, and one I would not have expected. I love it!
This car made its public debut this weekend at The Bridge, an exclusive invite-only concours-style automotive exhibition. Porsche Japan plans to import 356 Bonsai for exhibit in Tokyo at the end of this year, so if you’re in the area, you should check it out.
