CURATED IN COLLABORATION WITH Giana Gyr
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Spain 2016. Lewis Hamilton veers onto the grass to avoid his teammate, Nico Rosberg, eventually losing control with disastrous consequences.
When embarking on the journey to become a professional artist, Giana Gyr gave herself one piece of simple advice: “I told myself to paint the things that interest me. Don't paint the things that people expect.”
It was this advice that led her to Formula 1 and to her first – and unexpected – ‘viral’ moment as a painter back in 2021. “I just remember these moments kept happening during the 2021 season — at Monza, Silverstone, Hungary, Baku — and I just wanted to paint the very geometric, abstract interpretations these races inspired in my head.” So, she did just that, starting with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s iconic pile up at Monza during the 2021 title fight.
Six months later, she decided to share her work, with no titles or context, on the three-million-strong Formula 1 subreddit. The reaction on Reddit — a platform not typically known for its hospitality — shocked her. “People were like, ‘I know what that is. That’s Monza.” From there, her audience began to look forward to her posts, excited to see which decisive moments from each race would be represented in her abstract style.
Gyr's work is meant to be appreciated by both die-hard Formula 1 fans and complete novices alike. Her paintings, which utilize gouache, a thick, opaque paint reminiscent of watercolor with an elegant matte finish, capture the one-of-a-kind spectacle of each Grand Prix.
She draws inspiration from graphic styles far from the traditional realm of Formula 1 art, including early 20th-century modernism, Bauhaus — an abstract, angular and geometric German art style tracing back to the years after the end of World War I — and 1970s graphic design.
GIANA GYR
Now, three years on from that first viral moment, Gyr has her own studio space in England where she prints and ships her works all across the globe. To Gyr, the studio is a milestone that represents her commitment to continued innovation: “It's a really cool feeling to feel like yourself, like you're in your element, like you're doing the thing that you're supposed to be doing. And, to me, that is what the studio is.” Most recently, Gyr has gotten her hands on a retired Formula 1 tire, which she has begun carving into an improvised printing press.
It is this love for what she does, commitment to creativity, and acceptance of all perspectives that shines through in each of her pieces. “I have my own personal favorites that I like to keep to myself,” says Gyr. “People love to find meaning in my work and see their own interpretations of things. And I think that's what art is about in general. It's meant to spark conversation and make people think.”
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Suzuka 1989. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna battling for the 1989 championship. This piece showcases the angularity of late 80s Formula 1 cars by capturing their distinctive geometric lines and aerodynamic shapes.
GIANA GYR
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Qatar 2023. This painting is an abstraction of the Qatar circuit, shown as repeated circles to represent the constant tire changes throughout the race.
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Australia 2023. Complete chaos on the third start of the day. The Albert Park circuit becomes the most expensive pinball machine in the world.
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Singapore 2023. Heartbreak for George Russell as he clipped the wall on one of the last corners of the last lap leaving a trail of sparks as he lost out on a podium finish and any finish at all.
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Miami 2023. Formula 1's first time in Miami proved difficult for many drivers, and some of the best wheel to wheel action came from a Ferrari battling with a Haas.
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Imola 2024. 2024 is turning out to be very different from 2023 as multiple teams have significantly closed the gap to Red Bull.
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Sao Paulo 2023. Fernando Alonso got his elbows out and managed to hold on to a podium spot in Brazil. This painting is the photo finish between Alonso and Sergio Perez.
GIANA GYR
