Artwork by Preston artist Prem Sanker Sasidharan featured in the Corolla Great British Art project

This initiative challenged artists to produce works celebrating the enduringly popular Corolla hybrid – a car that is made in Britain (at Toyota’s Burnaston factory) and loved by people from all walks of life. Worldwide, more than 50 million have been sold across seven decades. The project followed the latest Corolla ad campaign which took a humorous look at the diverse lives of Corolla owners.

Sasidharan took his inspiration from the phrase ‘British tapestry’. Hence his doodle artwork features icons of British life such as a cup of tea, fish and chips, a football, a phone box and the London Eye, erupting from a Corolla. He also references different types of Corolla owner and Toyota-themed elements.

It took him five days to create the piece, which he sketched on a tablet before adding colour, including Union Jack red, white and blue.

He said: “I started with the ‘5 million’ as it’s such a milestone*, then freestyled my doodles from there. Doodling is the art of having a free mind; different people will see the piece through their own perspective. It’s great that companies like Toyota can provide opportunities for artists like me who don’t have much of a profile yet. Art helps people look at a company and its products in a different light.”

Sanker started doodling while studying electronic engineering 10 years ago and now runs a doodling business alongside his role as a support worker in north west England.

The artworks have been displayed at Toyota (GB)’s headquarters in Epsom and are set to travel to other Toyota locations in the UK, including the Corolla factory at Burnaston in Derbyshire.

Carla Henson, Toyota (GB) General Manager of Strategy and People, said: “Sasidharan’s artwork accurately and creatively reflects our brief to create something that captures the essence of the ever-popular and enduring Corolla. We were also impressed that he researched what the Toyota brand stands for.”

*Toyota celebrated building its five millionth car in the UK in October 2024.