Biografia
Professional automotive fine artist Nicolas Hunziker comes by his work honestly: He derives his eye for detail from his great-grandfather and grandfather who were both classically trained painters. His father, a professional flautist, now devotes much of his time to his paintings and his collages. This makes Nicolas Hunziker the 4th generation to pick up the family trade.
It also doesn't hurt that his granduncle was the motor racing Prince Bira of Siam, so Hunziker is no stranger to the history, adrenaline and petrol fumes of the sport. He trained at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design and he believes in keeping his work simple. He incorporates many elements of Art Deco advertising posters into his paintings and he calls his style "Period Correct."
Hunziker can create any piece on commission, and no piece is too small or big, a fact attested to by the 50 ft. murals he has created for various patrons. His focus lies in vintage racing and his original acrylic on canvas paintings have been reprinted on everything from Porsche espresso cups, greeting cards, T-shirts, shoes and limited-edition signed prints to mouse pads, iPhone covers and even Kimi Räikkönen's actual racing helmet.
His artwork has been blessed by Porsche AG which makes his creations officially licensed and the Porsche Museum purchased one of his original paintings to be displayed in their museum in Stuttgart. Porsche Cars North America also commissioned Hunziker to create a 22 ft. wide painting which now graces the entrance lobby at One Porsche Drive in Atlanta.
Hunziker's paintings and giclées have also been given the official stamp of approval from the ACO/24h Le Mans. Gulf Oil L.P. have awarded Hunziker with an official licensing agreement and commissioned a series of Blue and Orange paintings that embody the Gulf Racing spirit in all its colorful glory. To celebrate their 50th Anniversary, McLaren commissioned Hunziker to create eleven original acrylic on canvas paintings. Each painting featured one of the most iconic and important racing cars from McLaren's illustrious history.
At the behest of his partner, Heather Norwood, Hunziker and Norwood formed Hunziker Design to produce an apparel collection with the goal to create wearable art and to provide motor racing enthusiasts with an exciting new way to express themselves. Hunziker Design is now officially licensed with the likes of Steve McQueen, McQueen Racing, McLaren, Gulf Oil, Wheeler Dealer Mike Brewer and numerous other historic motor sports brands. In 2016, Hunziker Design became an official apparel supplier to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Another Hunziker collaboration is with French watch company BRM Chronographes. Together they created the Hunziker BRM Art Watch: The World's first automotive fine art chronograph. A series of commissioned one-off, hand-painted dials that are encompassed in custom BRM cases. To celebrate their 30th Anniversary, Keith Martin's Sports Car Market magazine commissioned three original paintings for their first art cover issue in 14 years. This special issue was released with three different art covers, each depicting one of the three commissioned original paintings. In 2019, Hunziker collaborated with iconic wheel brand, MOMO, to create the MOMO Heritage Collection.
Nicolas Hunziker is a licensed racer in his own right and he is following in his granduncle's footsteps with his single-seater 1969 Lotus 51 race car, an enterprise which he describes as: "An attempt at honoring Bira's legacy in the fastest way possible."
