A massage chair and sofa from a designer who captivated the world with Ferrari
Making the leap from a long career as an automotive designer, Ken Okuyama has lent his talents to numerous projects. It was a simple idea that led him to venture from the arena in which he had been working for so long: “I didn’t want to stay stuck in automotive design. I wanted to try many different kinds of design work.” The new field in which he is starting from scratch and pouring all of his energies is furniture design. With KEN-MS, he takes the massage chair, a product that tends to emphasize function over form, and gives equal priority to the design.
In doing so, he achieves the ultimate of both worlds.
“The purpose of design is to offer new ideas and make new things,” he says. “This can only mean making people’s everyday lives even better.” Mr. Okuyama’s enduring passion from his days as an automotive designer is embodied in his furniture design as well.
Ken Okuyama profile
-
Born in Yamagata City in 1959.
CEO of Ken Okuyama Design.
Previously worked as design director for Pininfarina, chief designer for General Motors, and a designer for Porsche.
Has worked on numerous industrial designs, including Ferrari Enzo, Maserati Quattroporte, furniture, robots, and theme parks.
Good Design Award Jury Member, visiting professor at the Art Center College of Design Industrial Design Department (U.S.), Central Academy of Fine Arts (China), Kanazawa College of Art (Japan), and Tama Art University (Japan). 