(Coventry) British artist Jonny Ambrose celebrates the automotive innovators of Coventry and Warwickshire in a new solo exhibition, INNOVATION, CAMOUFLAGE & DISCOVERY, opening at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry on November 10 and running through December 5.
Ambrose has created bold new geometric artworks that each depict a different vehicle subject, ranging from bespoke car manufacturers such as CALLUM, Twisted and Tolman to Maeving electric motorcycles, the student-run Warwick Moto race team from the University of Warwick, the National Transport Design Centre at Coventry University, and pioneering vehicles within Coventry Transport Museum and the British Motor Museum.
The Camouflage and Discovery aspects of the title refer to how the artworks appear abstract at first, the automotive subject almost hidden, yet become clearer on closer inspection. “The exhibition is full of camouflaged artworks that invite visual discovery” says Jonny.
The exhibition is also aimed at inspiring the next generation of automotive innovators seeking out design and engineering career pathways. Each artwork is a snapshot of the possibilities within Coventry and Warwickshire, and a visual signpost to an innovative company and its projects, such as CALLUM.
“At CALLUM, we believe in innovation, challenging convention and inspiring what comes next”, says CALLUM’s Managing Director, David Fairbairn. “The CALLUM Skye is a fitting choice to be featured in an exhibition that celebrates the automotive talent of Coventry and Warwickshire while inspiring the next generation of designers and engineers. This aligns perfectly with our CALLUM Next Generation initiative and our commitment to nurturing future talent.”
Camouflage, From Wartime to Prototypes
The camouflage theme runs deeper than the gallery walls. As a Warwick resident, Ambrose has long been fascinated by Britain’s wartime Camouflage Directorate, when more than 200 artists and designers were relocated to Leamington Spa to disguise the nation’s buildings, airfields and ships from enemy aircraft through clever usage of bold patterns, colours and shapes. The same idea appears today in the graphic patterns used to disguise prototype vehicles.
“I like to create fascination and visual challenges for viewers”, says the artist. “Each image is a visual maze of highly detailed and colourful geometric patterns to uncover. By exploring patterns and shapes within the vehicle’s design, each subject also creates its own unique graphical DNA within the artwork”.
Jonny says of the exhibition’s theme: “Coventry is the heart of the British car industry, yet much of the innovation goes under the radar; ‘camouflaged’; ‘hidden’ perhaps. Companies and institutions’ expertise plays an important part in the region’s thriving automotive sector, and I wanted these specially created artworks to celebrate that”.
If You Go
“We are delighted to welcome INNOVATION, CAMOUFLAGE & DISCOVERY to The Herbert”, says Alice Swatton, Exhibitions Curator at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. “This exhibition celebrates Coventry and Warwickshire’s rich history of innovation and automotive design, showcasing artwork inspired by a selection of vehicles from Coventry Transport Museum, also operated by CV Life, alongside other key automotive innovators from across the region.”
INNOVATION, CAMOUFLAGE & DISCOVERY runs November 10 through December 5 at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum at Jordan Well in the heart of Coventry, during the museum’s usual opening hours. Admission fees apply. The exhibition sits in a gallery adjacent to Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s Diplodocus, on route to the British Art Show 10 exhibition, which remains on display until January 2027. Further information is available at theherbert.org.
Ambrose creates bold automotive-inspired artworks for brands and collectors worldwide, along with bespoke trophies for events including the Mille Miglia, The Quail, the International Historic Motoring Awards and Porsche Club Motorsport. His works have been exhibited throughout Europe and North America since 1994, including the Art of Motoring exhibition covered on these pages in 2020, where he was noted as the first motoring artist to utilize a 3D printer. His six-week solo exhibition at the Royal Automobile Club in London has just concluded.
Source: Events PR press release on behalf of Jonny Ambrose, October 26, 2026.
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