Leo Obstbaum (October 26, 1969 – August 21, 2009) was an

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

-born Spanish

design director A design director is a position usually found within the software development, web development, product design, advertising, media, automotive or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other product focused organizations as well. The posit ...

for the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, as part of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC). Obstbaum was responsible for designing many of the main symbols of the Vancouver Olympic Games including the Olympic and Paralympic medals, the design of the 2010 Olympic torch, and the

2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots Miga and Quatchi are the official mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Sumi is the official mascot of the 2010 Winter Paralympics, and Mukmuk is their designated "sidekick" for both games, held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The four ...

. Obstbaum was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1969. He moved to Barcelona, Spain, with his family when he was a child. Obstbaum opened his first visual communication studio in 1990. He designed the wardrobe for the celebration of the anniversary of the

1992 Barcelona Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

. Obstbaum visited Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on his honeymoon and reportedly "fell in love" with the city. He moved to Vancouver from Spain in late 2005. Obstbaum was hired by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) in June 2006 as the director of design for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics. He oversaw the design and creation of many of the most important symbols of the 2010 Olympics, including the 2010 Olympics mascots, the Olympic torch and the medals which were awarded to the athletes. Leo Obstbaum died unexpectedly on August 21, 2009, at the age of 39. He was survived by his wife and daughter. The

VANOC The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) (french: Comité d’organisation des Jeux olympiques et paralympiques d’hiver de 2010 à Vancouver - COVAN) was the non-profit organization responsible ...

released a statement noting Obstbaum's contributions to the Vancounver Olympics, ''"Obstbaum's design leadership and influence are evident throughout VANOC's visual identity, including such iconic elements as the mascots, the Look of the Games, the torch designs, and Olympic and Paralympic medals (yet to be unveiled)."'' Likewise, an internal message sent to members of the VANOC its chief executive officer John Furlong read, ''"Leo is everywhere you look, in every colour, every texture, in every little bit of Vancouver 2010...Leo led and influenced the design of some of the most iconic pieces of the 2010 Winter Games. His spirit and daring inspiration has touched absolutely everything and because of him memories of the Games will live on for generations, a true enduring legacy of what went on here in Vancouver."''

References

External links

Vancouver Winter Games official interview with Leo Obstbaum

Leo Obstbaum Studio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obstbaum, Leo 1969 births 2009 deaths 2010 Winter Olympics Argentine emigrants to Spain Canadian graphic designers People from Barcelona People from Buenos Aires People from Vancouver Spanish designers