Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) graduate Kallon Rawlings has been spotlighted in BBC Top Gear magazine for his remarkable work creating hyper-detailed, luxury model art pieces at the world-renowned Amalgam Collection.
Kallon, an alumnus of AUB’s BA (Hons) Modelmaking degree, works as a modelmaker and technical support specialist at Bristol-based Amalgam Collection crafting museum-grade, bespoke replicas for elite automotive brands, racing teams, and legendary designers like Gordon Murray and Horacio Pagani.
In a major four-page feature in BBC Top Gear, Kallon highlights how his time at AUB equipped him with the dual skill set required for top-tier craftsmanship – blending traditional hand techniques with cutting-edge digital fabrication.
As Kallon shares in the article, “They teach you the classic techniques and also modern methods: woodworking by hand, metalworking by hand, clay sculpting, and also 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC machining and CAD (computer-aided design).”
Working on ultra-exclusive 1:18 down to massive 1:5 scale models – ranging from the McLaren W1 and Ferrari 499P to historic Le Mans racers – Kallon and his team use authentic materials including real Connolly leather, Alcantara, cast metal, and rubber.
From engineering complex CAD meshes to meticulously hand-weathering models with race scars and exhaust burn marks, the work demands incredible precision, with individual custom commissions starting at £25,000 and scaling into six figures for larger works (such as aerospace models like the B-17, priced at £64,000).
“We’re all absolutely delighted to see Kallon getting the recognition he deserves," says Paul Johnson, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Modelmaking at AUB. "Right from his time with us at AUB, he showed an incredible eye for detail, real passion for engineering, and a total dedication to his craft.
"To see him now taking those skills to the absolute peak of the industry – creating intricate, world-class pieces for legendary automotive names – is wonderful, though not at all surprising to those of us who taught him. He’s a brilliant talent and a fantastic inspiration to our current students.”
