Ken Okuyama

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Ken Okuyama

Ken Okuyama speaking at TEDxTokyo 2010
Native name 奥山 清行
Born Kiyoyuki Okuyama
1959
Yamagata, Yamagata
Residence Italy
Nationality Japanese
Alma mater Art Center College of Design
Occupation Automotive designer
Organization Ken Okuyama Design
Website
www.kenokuyama.jp

Ken Okuyama (born 1959) is an automobile designer who worked for Pininfarina designing or supervising projects such as the Enzo Ferrari and Ferrari P4/5.[1][2] His given name is Kiyoyuki Okuyama (奥山 清行 Okuyama Kiyoyuki) but goes by Ken Okuyama (ケン・オクヤマ) outside Japan. He was born in the city of Yamagata, Japan, but lives in Italy, speaking Japanese, Italian, and English fluently.[1]

Career

Okuyama graduated from the Art Center College of Design in 1986.[1] For the next 3 years he was a visiting professor at Tohoku University of Art and Design as well as being Chief Designer for Honda's NSX project. In 1991, he returned to teach part time at the Art Center College of Design in California. Between 2000 and 2004, he was Chair of the Transportation Design Department at the college, but in 2004, he was offered a job at Pininfarina.[3]

Ken Okuyama worked for General Motors and Porsche, helping design the new generation Porsche 911 (aka 996) as well as the Boxster.[1] Before moving to Pininfarina, he worked for General Motors in the Advanced Concepts Center in California.[1] During the first tenure at GM in the early 1990s, he was in charge of designing the Camaro and the C5 Corvette.[citation needed]

On 10 May 2004, Ken Okuyama began work as Creative Director at Pininfarina.[3] He had been working with Pininfarina before, supervising the design of the Enzo Ferrari.[4] As Creative Director Ken oversaw projects including the Ferrari 599, Mitsubishi Colt CZC, Maserati Birdcage 75th and Ferrari P4/5.[2][5][6][7]

In 2006, Okuyama left Pininfarina and set up his own design firm, Newton Design Lab. His current work includes humanoid robots and furniture.[1] He is also known for the design of a small robot called Nuvo.

In late 2007, Okuyama launched the Ken Okuyama Eyes collection, an eyewear collection manufactured in Japan.

In 2008, Ken Okuyama presented his first concept car under his own name - the K.O. 7 Spider, a carbon fiber and unpainted aluminum two-seater. The K.O. 7 was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2008. Ken Okuyama has cooperated with the luxury watch producer TAG Heuer, having fitted the TAG Heuer Grand Carrera at the dashboard of the car. The interior of the concept car was inspired by the design of the TAG Heuer watch.

In 2008, Ken Okuyama's design studio will produce the first 20 models of the K.O. 7 Spider, already pre-sold to an 'inner circle' of designer's fans. It will be followed by the production of 99 cars in 2009 and 99 more in 2010.[8]

Projects

Railway vehicles

An E6 series shinkansen set, March 2013


Other vehicles

Kode7 
Kode7 Clubman 
Kode9 
Yanmar YT01 

Awards

The following were awarded to either Ken Okuyama or a car he worked with others to design:

  • The Pininfarina Metrocubo won The Best Interior Design of the Year Award in 1999[1]
  • The Ferrari Rossa, designed by Okuyama, won The Best Concept Car of The Year award in 2000[1]
  • The Maserati Birdcage 75th won the Best Concept prize at the Editors Choice Awards by Autoweek[15]
  • The Maserati Birdcage 75th won the Louis Vuitton Classic Concept Award which Pininfarina gave to Okuyama[15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Ken Okuyama, creative director, Pininfarina S.p.A.". Philips. Archived from the original on 2006-12-09. Retrieved 2007-01-14. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina: A Dream Come True". Pininfarina. Retrieved 2007-01-14. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ken Okuyama returns to Pininfarina as Creative Director". DesignTAXI. Retrieved 2006-01-14. 
  4. ↑ "Ferrari Enzo". Car.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2006-08-21. Retrieved 2007-01-14. 
  5. ↑ "Mitsubishi Colt CZC, Dynamic and Functional". Pininfarina. Archived from the original on 2007-01-11. Retrieved 2007-01-14. 
  6. ↑ "Ferrari and Pininfarina: The Story Continues". Pininfarina. Retrieved 2007-01-14. 
  7. ↑ "Ken Okuyama parts company with Pininfarina". Car Design News. 2006-09-15. Retrieved 2007-01-14. 
  8. ↑ "Ken Okuyama's K.O. 7 Spider and TAG Heuer". Watches.infoniac.com. 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2012-04-24. 
  9. ↑ "「こまち」の新型車両発表　１３年に秋田新幹線に導入" [New Komachi trains unveiled - To be introduced on Akita Shinkansen in 2013]. 47 News (in Japanese). Japan: Press Net Japan Co., Ltd. 2 February 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2012. 
  10. ↑ "山形新幹線　「つばさ」塗装リニューアル" [Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa trains to be repainted]. Kahoku Online Network (in Japanese). Japan: Kahoku Shimpo Publishing. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013. 
  11. ↑ "東北で復活するＳＬによる新しい列車「ＳＬ銀河」" [New "SL Ginga" train using erstored steam locomotive in Tohoku] (pdf). News release (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013. 
  12. ↑ "北陸路走る　伝統と未来　新幹線デザイン決定" [Hokuriku Shinkansen design announced - tradition and future]. Chunichi Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Chunichi Shimbun. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012. 
  13. ↑ "中央線新型特急「E353系」量産先行車新造へ－2015年夏以降に完成" [Pre-production E353 series limited express to be built for Chuo Line]. Hachioji Keizai Shimbun (in Japanese). Japan: Factory ZIAS G.K. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014. 
  14. ↑ "クルーズトレインの新造について" [New cruise train details]. News release (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Pininfarina Wins Louis Vuitton Classic Concept Award". World Car Fans. 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2007-01-14. 

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