A Preston artist is being featured in the Corolla Great British Art project.
Prem Sanker Sasidharan, aka Mr Doodleey, contributed his work Corolla 5 Million to the initiative, which challenged artists to create pieces celebrating the enduringly popular Corolla hybrid – a car manufactured in Britain at Toyota’s Burnaston factory.
Toyota celebrated building its five millionth car in the UK in October 2024, while more than 50 million Corollas have been sold worldwide across seven decades. The project followed the latest Corolla ad campaign, which took a humorous look at the diverse lives of Corolla owners.
Prem took his inspiration from the phrase British tapestry. 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.
Prem 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.”
Prem, who lives in Preston city centre, started doodling while studying electronic engineering 10 years ago and now runs a doodling business alongside his role as a support worker.
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 factory at Burnaston.
Carla Henson, Toyota (GB) General Manager of Strategy and People, said: “Prem’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.”
