Wizardry of Oz

Artist Paul Oz combines racing imaging, 3-D printing, and ancient casting techniques to make sculptures of legendary racers.

- _by Elana Scherr

PAUL OZ'S TEACHERS said he was no good at art, so he studied engineering instead. But he kept painting as a hobby, and in 2008, at almost 30 years old, Oz finally started showing his work publicly. Shortly thereafter, his lively canvases celebrating Formula 1 cars and drivers caught the attention of F1 teams. Not content to limit his talents to two dimensions, Oz began working in sculpture in 2012. Using traditional foundry techniques, as well as 3-D scanning and printing technology, Oz creates realistic sculptures in bronze, such as Senna “Eau Rouge,” the statue of Ayrton Senna he debuted in 2019. Recently, Oz used magnesium sourced from the wheels of McLaren's F1 cars to cast Senna “La Rascasse” (below). Here's how.