For Cyril Kongo, art has always been a language of movement. Born from the energy of the street and shaped through decades of discipline, travel, memory and instinct, his visual world exists somewhere between writing, abstraction and emotional architecture. What began on public walls has evolved into a global artistic language, one filled with colour, rhythm, symbols and a deep sense of human connection.
His latest collaboration with Rolls-Royce marks a striking new chapter in that journey. For Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo, the artist transforms five Private Commissions into immersive moving artworks, each one carrying a unique expression of what he calls “The Kongoverse.” Across the Starlight Headliner, hand-painted interior surfaces, hidden tags and subtle exterior details, Kongo brings together street culture, quantum curiosity, craftsmanship and luxury in a way that feels both intimate and expansive.
More than a meeting of two worlds, the project becomes a celebration of creative freedom itself. It asks what happens when the raw spirit of writing culture enters one of the most refined spaces of contemporary luxury, not as decoration, but as dialogue. In conversation with House of Solo, Kongo reflects on identity, improvisation, music, mystery, craftsmanship and why true luxury, for him, begins with time.
For people discovering you for the first time through this Rolls-Royce collaboration, how would you introduce yourself and the world of Cyril Kongo?
I’m a contemporary artist working with writing, movement and energy. My language was born from the street, but over time it evolved into something more universal: a form of abstraction where signs, colours and rhythms become emotional architecture. The world of Cyril Kongo is about freedom, transmission and human connection. My work explores identity, time, memory and the invisible links between cultures. What began as writing on walls became a dialogue with craftsmanship, excellence and contemporary art.
You have created what you call “The Kongoverse” for this project. What does that universe represent, and how much of your own journey is inside it?
The Kongoverse is a universe built from all the fragments of my life: my roots, my travels, my emotions, my encounters and my obsessions. It is both intimate and universal. Inside it, there are codes, symbols, formulas, colours and movements that reflect the way I see the world: connected, alive and constantly evolving. It carries my multicultural identity, my relationship with spirituality, music, science and craftsmanship. This project with Rolls-Royce became a perfect extension of that vision. The car almost became a capsule of the Kongoverse.
When you first encountered the Black Badge Cullinan, what did it immediately make you feel or imagine?
I immediately felt presence. Silence. Power. The Black Badge Cullinan has something architectural and almost cinematic about it. It feels like a moving sanctuary. I instantly imagined it not simply as a car, but as a contemporary art installation in motion: a space where emotion, craftsmanship and imagination could coexist.
Your work has roots in graffiti and public space, while Rolls-Royce represents one of the highest expressions of luxury and craftsmanship. What excited you about bringing those two worlds together?
For me, there is actually a deep connection between them. My writing was always about identity, expression and excellence of gesture. Graffiti, or writing culture, is one of humanity’s earliest gestures: a mark left behind to celebrate existence, emotions or beliefs. What excited me was creating a dialogue between two worlds dedicated to mastery. Rolls-Royce represents an extraordinary level of patience, precision and savoir-faire. I recognised the same devotion I have towards painting. This collaboration was never decorative. It was about bringing contemporary artistic expression into conversation with timeless craftsmanship.
This collaboration turns the car into a moving artwork. How did you approach the idea of using a Rolls-Royce interior as your canvas?
I approached it almost like composing an immersive artwork. The interior became a living space for the Kongoverse, not something to simply look at, but something to experience physically. I wanted the owner to feel surrounded by energy, symbols and movement, almost like entering another dimension. I was thinking about rhythm, circulation, light and emotion in the same way an installation artist or filmmaker would think about space.
Rolls-Royce is known for precision, patience and permanence, while your work carries rhythm, instinct and spontaneity. How did you balance those two creative energies?
That tension became the beauty of the project. My work appears spontaneous, but behind that freedom there are years of discipline and control. Rolls-Royce works with incredible precision, but there is also emotion and humanity behind every detail. We met in that space between instinct and mastery. Nothing was rushed. Every gesture remained alive while respecting the extraordinary level of craftsmanship required by Rolls-Royce.
You worked closely with the Bespoke Collective at Goodwood. What surprised you most about being inside the Rolls-Royce creative world?
The level of dedication. Truly. When I entered Goodwood, I did not feel like I was entering a factory. It felt more like entering a sanctuary of craftsmanship. Everyone there has dedicated years, sometimes decades, to mastering one very specific gesture or skill. As an artist, I deeply connected with that philosophy. It reminded me that true excellence always requires time.
The Starlight Headliner became a centrepiece of the commission. What drew you to that feature, and why did it feel like the right place to bring “The Kongoverse” to life?
The Starlight Headliner immediately fascinated me because it already carries something poetic and almost infinite. The Kongoverse speaks about connections between worlds, energies and dimensions, so the idea of transforming the ceiling into a cosmic landscape felt completely natural. It became like a portal above the passengers: a floating universe made of stars, symbols and movement. It was the perfect place to express imagination and mystery.
There are references to planets, symbols, formulas and quantum physics throughout the artwork. Why are science, imagination and mystery so important to your visual language?
Because art should not only decorate, it should open doors. I’m fascinated by the invisible structures connecting life, energy, memory and the universe itself. Quantum physics, symbols and mathematical sequences all suggest that reality is more interconnected than we perceive. My paintings are not literal explanations of science. They are emotional translations of those ideas. I want viewers to feel curiosity, wonder and possibility.
You have described painting as being like jazz. Where did that sense of rhythm and improvisation appear in this project?
Everywhere. Even inside a project requiring extraordinary precision, there must remain breathing space for instinct and emotion. My lines move like improvisation in jazz, responding to energy in the moment while still respecting an invisible structure underneath. That rhythm appears in the flow of the compositions, the layering of signs and the movement travelling throughout the interior.
Do you listen to music while you paint? If so, what kind of music usually enters the studio with you, and does it change the rhythm of the work?
Always. Music is part of the painting process. Jazz has a very important place because of its freedom and improvisation, but I also listen to classical music, electronic music, hip-hop, soul and even meditation sounds, depending on the energy I’m searching for.
Music changes the breathing of the work. Sometimes the painting becomes explosive and rhythmic, and sometimes it becomes almost contemplative and silent.
Each of the five Black Badge Cullinan commissions shares the same creative theme, but each one is unique. How did you give every car its own identity?
I approached each car almost like an individual character. The Kongoverse exists as one global universe, but inside it, every composition has its own emotional frequency, balance and vibration. The colours, symbols, movements and energy evolved differently for each commission. I wanted every owner to feel they possessed a singular artwork rather than a variation of the same object.
The exterior only hints at the world inside, with details like the Gradient Coachline, coloured brake callipers and your signature tag. Why was it important for the artwork to reveal itself slowly?
Because mystery creates emotion. I did not want the experience to be immediate or overly obvious. True luxury often lives in subtlety, in the details discovered over time. The exterior acts almost like a whisper, while the interior becomes the full immersion. The car reveals itself progressively, like entering layers of a story.
Your tag appears in hidden and unexpected places, from the umbrellas to the sun visor and luggage compartment. What do those small discoveries add to the experience of the car?
They create intimacy. Those hidden details transform the relationship between the owner and the car into something personal and emotional. It becomes less about possession and more about discovery. I love the idea that certain elements may only be noticed months or years later, almost like secret messages left inside the artwork.
Luxury today feels increasingly personal, emotional and expressive. What does true luxury mean to you now?
For me, the ultimate luxury is time. Time to create properly. Time to master a craft. Time to experience beauty slowly. True luxury is also authenticity: creating something with soul, intention and emotional depth rather than simply displaying wealth. That is why I’m drawn towards maisons and artisans who dedicate their lives to excellence and transmission.
When the owners sit inside these five cars for the first time, what do you hope they feel?
I hope they feel transported somewhere else. I want them to feel emotion, curiosity and energy. Almost like stepping into a moving artwork or entering a dreamlike space disconnected from ordinary reality. Most importantly, I hope they feel that this project was created without compromise, with sincerity, passion and respect for both art and craftsmanship.
We are currently working on our Celebration Issue. What does celebration mean to you personally, and would you describe this Rolls-Royce collaboration as a celebration of how far street art has travelled?
Celebration, for me, is about gratitude: gratitude for life, for creation, for human connection and for the journey itself. Yes, this collaboration absolutely represents a celebration of how far writing culture and contemporary urban art have travelled. What once existed only on public walls now enters spaces of craftsmanship, design and cultural dialogue without losing its soul. But beyond that, I see this project as a celebration of creative freedom itself. A reminder that art can move across worlds, cultures and histories while continuing to evolve.
