Camilo Pardo
Born in New York city, Camilo Pardo moved to Detroit at the age of 10 and had by that age developed a fascination with ’60s and ’70s era sports cars and modern art. After graduating from Detroit’s prestigious design school Center for Creative Studies in 1985, Camilo was hired by Ford Design Center in Dearborn, Michigan. His assignments included working in the Dearborn Advanced Studios, Ford of Europe (Torino, Italy Studio), and the Design Studios in Cologne Germany. After 15 years at Ford Motor Company, he took on what was for him the ultimate assignment—a state of the art re-design of the classic Ford GT race car. This project developed the 2002 Ford GT concept car.
As chief Designer of the Ford GT and the SVT Studio, Camilo’s team worked on the 2005 and 2006 production Ford GT. The GT became an instant success, capturing the interest of car enthusiasts around the world.
At the end of the work day at Ford, Camilo continued to explore an additional avenues of art & design. With the integration of Design principles and the abstractions of Fine Art, Camilo explores alternative design solutions. This work is created in his studios, located in the city of Detroit and Los Angeles. His studios has been the scene of more than a few of Detroit’s openings and receptions. For the last 15 years, his studio has hosted the Detroit Auto’s Designers’ Night. An internationally recognized event which is attended by top automotive personnel and designers from all over the world. The North American International Auto Show has included Designer’s Night as a recognized NAIAS event appearing in all NAIAS publications.
By evening, Camilo is a serious, multi-faceted artist with incomparable creative energy. This creativity is evident in his large, brightly colored oil paintings on canvas.This includes a large production of Automotive Fine Art. The same quality of creativity reaches a line of fashion design, that he describes as advanced fashion concepts. These fashion pieces have been created for auto shows and runway exhibits. Camilo’s industrial design reaches into sculptural furniture design, that has made the rounds from main art galleries in Metro Detroit, Italy, Japan, and the Contempory Furniture Fare in New York.
As a dedicated artist who sets no limits on his creative endeavors, Camilo has found that his outside artistic expressions further strengthen and complements his passion for automotive design.
Camilo,
Love the passion in your work.
Roy
It is nice to see this story about Camilo. I have known him since the 1991 NAIAS where we shared discussion about Ford and Cadillac products that we had worked on at the show. His art is his first priority and he uses his talent to effect many different and varied design subjects. Designers Night in Detroit is not only hosted at his gallery in Detroit but he plays a big part in creating, executing and funding it along with Buck Mook, his mother Rosaana Pardo and myself.
He has had great support through the years from his mother and other members of his family who have been behind him helping and supporting him in many ways. Camilo is an example of how training in fine arts can effect the art of automotive design.
DICK RUZZIN
I worked for Saleen Special Vehicles in Troy. We built 80% of the Ford GT before shipping to Wixom. Camilo would visit on occasion. Some of his artwork could be seen in our showroom.
The artwork is fantastic! It reminds me of Sid Meads wonderful renderings. Lots of impact! A very talented young man.
Thanks for showing us, Gary,
Tom Semple
Camilo Pardo’s illustrations and designs are terrific! Always intriguing perspectives, always beguiling splashes of color that still let the viewer “read” the subject, and solid compositions. Bravo!! I left Ford Design before Camilo started there, but wish I’d met him.
Gary, thanks for a great article on a doggone good designer/artist!
Phil Payne
We featured Camilo in a two automobile fine art exhibits we produced in downtown Detroit during the auto show a few years ago. He is so talented and such a great guy to be around. His work is fantastic!
while on assignment at Ford of Europe Design, I had the opportunity to work with Camilo there as well as in the Dearborn Studios. He is, extremely talented and welcomes challenges, both in Design and in Artwork, as well as he’s fun to be around. It was great to read the above article on him, and “catch up” on what he’s been doing.