Profile and Photographic Philosophy
Takayuki Kikuchi – Automotive Photographer
Career Background
Early Career
Worked at a photography studio in Sydney, Australia (1995–1999), then established independent practice in Japan.
As of 2025, 30 years of professional experience.
International Exhibitions
Exhibited in Paris, London, New York, and Tokyo.
Featured in Production Paradise Magazine(Barcelona) and creator's value(Tokyo) for his unique automotive photography.
Education & Technical Approach
Completed Courses
- Photography and Contemporary Art – MoMA (Coursera)
- Architecture – HarvardX
- Graphic Design and Typography – CalArts (Coursera)
Clients
TOYOTA, Lexus, Volkswagen, Car Graphic, Bosch, and others.
Job Description
- Photographer - Art Director - AI Director - AI Visual Director - Prompt Engineer
Artistic Practice – KARAT TOKYO
Since 2020, Kikuchi has developed artistic work under the name KARAT TOKYO.
His current projects explore the visual architecture of urban memory—merging photography and painting to reveal structural traces within cityscapes.
Visual strategy and media purity are developed through KARAT TOKYO (https://karattokyo.myportfolio.com).
Exhibitions & Awards(KARAT TOKYO)
- 2022 – Rome International Art Fair
- 2022 – Medina Art Gallery, Rome
- 2021 – Osaka Museum of Art
- 2021 – Contemporary Venice
- 2021 – The Room Contemporary Art Space, Venice
- 2020 – Museum of Photography
Selected Awards
- 2022 – Paris Photo Awards: Silver
- 2022 – London Photography Awards: Gold (Fine Art)
- 2022 – London International Creative Competition: Shortlist
- 2021 – Tokyo International Photo Awards: Official Selection
- 2021 – New York Photography Awards: Silver
- 2021 – London International Creative Competition: Official Selection
- 2021 – 14th International Color Award
- 2021 – National Postcard Design Award (Japan)
- 2020 – Budapest International Foto Awards
- 2020 – International Photography Awards
Early Career Portfolio (View on Flickr)
Profile (Profile and Photographic Philosophy)
I have been active as an Automobile Photographer for 20 years, focusing on commercial work for major automakers such as Lexus, Porsche, and Toyota. The core of my creative activity is the pursuit of Structural Beauty. My goal is to convey the aerodynamic form and the essential aesthetic beauty of the metal, as intended by designers and engineers, through my photography.
In my studio work, I have established a unique lighting technique utilizing seven or more strobes. This specialized method allows me to meticulously control the highlights and shadows on the body lines, maximizing the vehicle's dimensionality and presence.
Alongside my commercial activities, my life's work, the "Isolated Frame" series, explores universal structural beauty across different eras and car models. This is an attempt to redefine the automobile, an industrial product, as an "artwork" that reflects the pinnacle of human ingenuity.
As an automobile photographer, I believe my mission is to continue capturing this moment of "structural beauty" as the automotive world evolves.
Automobile photographer Takayuki Kikuchi
About Takayuki Kikuchi. Born in 1971, graduated from Tokyo College of Photography. After working as a studio assistant, I started my career as a freelance photographer for automotive advertising.
Q&A (English Translation)
Q: What is the most crucial technique for emphasizing "structural beauty" in luxury car photography?
A: To express "structural beauty" in luxury car photography, controlling the light reflection (highlight) that accentuates the body curves is indispensable. Specifically, the use of the multi-strobe technique, intentionally creating a sharp terminator line (the boundary between light and shadow), is fundamental.
Q: What is the difference in lighting approach when photographing Lexus versus Porsche?
A: Since Lexus has many organic curves, the lighting is diffused to create rich tonal highlights. Conversely, as Porsche emphasizes functional beauty, the light is narrowed to highlight the edges, thereby clearly defining the structure.