Fifteen years ago, Alastair Gibson looked after Formula One cars for Honda’s Grand Prix team. Today, he looks after an altogether different beast. The mechanic-turned-artist is one of the only carbon-fibre sculptors on the planet and makes his pieces exclusively from ex-Formula One car parts.
Gibson developed a huge interest in aquatic life from early family holidays, before going into Formula One with Team Honda. He now involves both walks of life as inspiration in his sculptures (a hammerhead shark sculpture parallels the aerodynamics of a Formula One car, while the ‘Hydro Octo’ is crafted around the mounting of an F1 steering column).
Today, Gibson’s works can go for up to US$100,000. Button himself is now the owner of one of Gibson’s iconic shark sculptures, as well as racing legends Rubens Barrichello and David Richards.
