Ken Okuyama

Ken Okuyama (born 1959) is a Japanese industrial designer. He is the owner of the Ken Okuyama Design company. Okuyama formerly worked for Pininfarina, designing and 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, lives in Tokyo, and speaks Japanese, Italian, and English fluently.[1]

Ken Okuyama
奥山 清行
Okuyama speaking at TEDxTokyo 2010
Born
奥山 清行 (Okuyama Kiyoyuki)

1959 (age 61–62)
Yamagata, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Alma materArt Center College of Design
OccupationIndustrial designer
OrganizationKen Okuyama Design
Websitewww.kenokuyama.jp

Career

Okuyama graduated in 1986 from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.[1] For the next three years he was a visiting professor at Tohoku University of Art and Design. In 1991, he returned to teach part-time at the Art Center College of Design. 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]

Okuyama worked for General Motors and Porsche, helping design the new generation of the 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]

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 GTB Fiorano, Ferrari 456M GT, Ferrari California, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, Chevrolet Camaro (fourth generation), Ferrari Rossa (Concept car), Mitsubishi Colt CZC, Maserati Birdcage 75th, Maserati Quattroporte V and Ferrari P4/5.[2][5][6][7]

In 2006, Okuyama left Pininfarina and set up his own design firm, Newton Design Lab. 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 reinforced polymer and unpainted aluminium 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 produced the first 20 models of the K.O. 7 Spider, already pre-sold to an "inner circle" of the designer's fans. It was followed by the production of 99 cars in 2009 and 99 more in 2010.[8]

In 2016, Ken Okuyama revealed the Kode 57.[9] This will be an additional member to the limited-edition family, as only five units will be produced.[10] Forbes Magazine stated "Enzo Ferrari Designer Stuns Monterey With Breathtaking Kode 57 Supercar".[11]

Projects

Railway vehicles
  • An E6 series shinkansen set in March 2013
  • An E7 series shinkansen set in April 2014
  • The rebuilt KiHa 141 series cars for the SL Ginga excursion trainset in May 2014
  • The E3 series Toreiyu excursion trainset in July 2014
  • The first E235 series trainset in April 2015
  • A E353 series trainset in July 2015
  • The E001 series Train Suite Shiki-shima cruise train on delivery in September 2016
  • A EV301 series set in April 2014

Car

Other Projects
  • OHCO M.8LE (limited edition) massage chair.
  • OHCO M.8 massage chair.
  • OHCO M.DX massage chair.
  • OHCO R.6 massage chair.

Ken Okuyama designed the M-series and R-series massage chairs with a swing door in partnership with Furniture for Life (FFL). FFL is Inc. 5000 company based in Boulder, Colorado.

  • OHCO M.8LE Massage Chair
  • Gundam G40 (Industrial Design Ver.) (HG)
  • Kode7
  • Kode7 Clubman
  • Kode9
  • Yanmar YT01
  • Kode57 Enji
  • Kode57 Enji Rear

Awards

The following were awarded to either Ken Okuyama, car, or other project 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[24]
  • The Maserati Birdcage 75th won the Louis Vuitton Classic Concept Award which Pininfarina gave to Okuyama[24]
  • The prestigious Hall of Fame award “La Bella Macchina” was given to Ken Okuyama at Concorso Italiano on August 20, 2016.
  • 2019 Consumer Electronics Show Innovation Honor awarded in the Fitness, Sports, and Biotech Category for the OHCO M.8
  • 2019 ePDA (European Product Design Award) for the OHCO M.8
  • 2019 Pinnacle Award in Furniture for the OHCO M.8
  • 2020 Good Design award for the OHCO M.8

References
  1. "Ken Okuyama, creative director, Pininfarina S.p.A." Philips. Archived from the original on 2006-12-09. Retrieved 2007-01-14.
  2. "Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina: A Dream Come True". Pininfarina. Archived from the original on 2006-11-14. Retrieved 2007-01-14.
  3. "Ken Okuyama returns to Pininfarina as Creative Director". DesignTAXI. Archived from the original on 2006-02-22. 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. Archived from the original on 2007-01-14. Retrieved 2007-01-14.
  7. "Ken Okuyama parts company with Pininfarina". Car Design News. 2006-09-15. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. 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. http://www.kenokuyamadesign.com/kode57/
  10. "Ken Okuyama creates another masterpiece – Meet the Kode 57 Roadster!". Retrieved 2016-09-07.
  11. Lyon, Peter. "Enzo Ferrari Designer Stuns Monterey With Breathtaking Kode 57 Supercar". Retrieved 2016-09-07.
  12. 「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. Archived from the original on 19 March 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  13. 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. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. "news 2014.07.03" (in Japanese). Japan: Ken Okuyama Design. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  17. "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.
  18. リゾートしらかみにHB-E300系を追加投入 [Additional HB-E300 series to be introduced on Resort Shirakami]. Tetsudo.com (in Japanese). Japan: Asahi Interactive, Inc. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 神戸市交通局，新形車両デザインのデザイン案を公開 [Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau publishes proposed designs for new trains]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 17 October 2016. Archived from the original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  22. "山形新幹線をより便利に快適にします" (PDF). jreast.co.jp. 東日本旅客鉄道株式会社. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  23. "2000 PININFARINA FERRARI ROSSA". archivioprototipi.it (in Italian). Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  24. "Pininfarina Wins Louis Vuitton Classic Concept Award". World Car Fans. 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2007-01-14.
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