About The Artist

Felix Holst is a British Artist living in Los Angeles, California.

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, in 1972 Felix fell in love with car culture and motorsports at a very early age and pursued the dream of a career in vehicle design throughout his childhood, eventually graduating with a BA Hons Degree in Design for Industry in 1996 from Northumbria University. A temp' position with Hot Wheels UK started him off on a path that would relocate him, after a 5 year stint in the UK music industry, to California where he became Vice President Of Design for the Hot Wheels and Matchbox brands.

 

 

Moving away from the Toy Industry in 2015 Felix co-founded Hackrod Inc, a company with one foot in the American Hot Rod ethos and the other foot firmly planted in Silicon Valley. Hackrod developed technologies that would connect the average consumer to industrial 3D printing through VR and AI technologies with the goal of democratizing vehicle design and customization.

 Alongside his passion for design Felix has always emerged himself in his love for music, art and cars. A five year sabbatical from Hot Wheels saw him hit the road with his band ‘The Kustombuilt’ in the UK and it was in this time that he galvanized his reputation as a fine artist. Combining graffiti stencil techniques with more traditional styles he began painting the Brutalist architecture of the cities in the North of England, celebrating the bold graphic elements of the modernist era with the bright psychedelic colors of sixties pop art. It was inevitable that Felix would turn his attention to painting cars which he did when he returned to Hot Wheels in 2004 and made the move to SoCal. Using a combination of styles developed through his career he blends traditional acrylic painting techniques and thick layered paint with a graffiti sensibility gradually building up color and texture until the image seems to vibrate on the canvas.

 

 

"My goal has always been to capture  automotive culture in a fresh and modern way, to create works that are so much more than just a picture of a car." says Felix, "Cars are more than the sum of their parts. At their best they can define a moment in time or a whole era. They speak to a primal need for adventure and excitement. They represent the very best of art and technology combined and for many they are the most valuable form of personal expression available."

Felix works from his home in Venice Beach California, his art sharing space in his studio with a 31 Ford Hotrod and Porsche 911 project, allowing him to paint and build cars simultaneously.

 

 

 Over the past two years Felix has built a solid following with car collectors and art collectors alike.