Ken Okuyama

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.

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

Other vehicles

Awards

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

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. ↑ 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.
  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. ↑ 12.0 12.1 山形新幹線に新たな魅力が誕生します！ [A new allure born on the Yamagata Shinkansen] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "news 2014.07.03" (in Japanese). Japan: Ken Okuyama Design. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "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.
  15. ↑ クルーズトレインの列車名について [Cruise train name details] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  16. ↑ Kusamachi, Yoshimasa (22 April 2015). 東武鉄道、新型特急「500系」2017年春導入へ…分割・併合運転に対応 [Tobu Railway to introduce new 500 series limited express trains in spring 2017 - To allow coupling/splitting en route]. Response (in Japanese). Japan: IID Inc. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Pininfarina Wins Louis Vuitton Classic Concept Award". World Car Fans. 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2007-01-14.

External links

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