Travel, food, health, fashion, beauty, and more Lifestyle stories you love.
Travel, food, health, fashion, beauty, and more Lifestyle stories you love.
Kenneth Cobonpue continues to create works of functional art, put Filipino design on the global stage, and hone promising future designers
By Faye Almazan / Images by Gerlyn Mae Mariano
Kenneth is very intentional with his art and creations. He defines art as an avenue for “free expression,” while design for him is art that serves a function.
“I think that a lot of the pieces I design people call ‘functional art,’ and that's how I cross that thin line between design and art,” the 56-year-old designer explained.
Kenneth not only finds joy in designing, but he also feels delighted whenever people enjoy his creations.
“Nothing makes me more happy than seeing people enjoy my designs. When I see them sit down and it puts a smile on their face, there's a sense of that amazement and wonder that I had as a child, or that my mother had when I showed [her] the little toys that I designed,” Kenneth mused.
“I am always looking for inspiration from everything around me,” is how Kenneth described himself in a sentence.
According to Kenneth, there is no formula for inspiration, which means he has to continually look for it through his experiences, dreams, and environment.
“I have to continually look at myself, inside myself, all my experiences, all my dreams, all the things that I find beautiful, and to look around me. I also look deep within our culture and see what makes it unique, what makes it beautiful,” he said.
Kenneth added, “Sometimes, it's become more difficult now over the years because people are bombarded with so many things on social media and so it's increasingly harder to create something unique. But so far, I've managed, and I hope that passion, that spirit, that fountain of inspiration lives on.”
People well-acquainted with Kenneth’s style could easily spot a Kenneth Cobonpue piece when they see one. His pieces have been used in international television shows and movies, most notably in Ocean’s 13 and CSI Miami.
Two of his most recognizable designs are the Dragnet lounge chair and Bloom chair. But if there is a creation that can be considered almost synonymous to his name, it would be the Voyage Bed.
Even Kenneth thinks the traditional fishing boat-shaped bed made from steel frame and abaca ropes spearheaded his recognition abroad. How could it not when the Voyage Bed was not only bought by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, but was also featured multiple times in global media, including in one of the music videos of American rock band Maroon 5.
“That bed is photogenic, and it's been used in a lot of pictorials and videos like Maroon 5’s ‘Never Gonna Leave This Bed.’ So I think I have the Voyage Bed to thank for,” Kenneth said.
Kenneth admitted that leaving a mark abroad was no easy feat, especially when he had to go against prejudice towards Filipino and Asian designers earlier on.
“I think there's that prejudice that nothing luxurious can come from a third-world country like the Philippines, and so I have to work harder to prove to people around the world that our products are as good as their European counterparts and that we have our own rightful place in the world,” Kenneth explained.
Kenneth said he had to “let the products speak for themselves.”
“The designs had to be very distinctive, very good, that even if they didn't know where it came from, they would be amazed by it and I think I managed to do that,” he continued.
With decades of experience to his name, Kenneth has already established an identity for his design style and brand. A large part of it being all his pieces are handmade and crafted in the Philippines.
While not all the materials he uses are sourced locally, Kenneth makes sure to incorporate them in a way that still emphasizes Filipino craftsmanship.
“I think that's… the thing that's amazing. You can take materials [as] high tech as carbon fiber, and still use Filipino craftsmanship to make it into something unique, something different,” he said.
Kenneth added, “Because that's how we are as a people. We are adaptable, and we have that spirit that we can fashion and make something out of nothing.”
Kenneth also described his pieces as being big on expressing emotion, looking fun, and being quirky.
“It's made with emotion, to evoke emotion. People say that a lot of it is fun, it's whimsical. But I feel that that should be the role of design—to make people wonder and to be like kids again,” he said.
Kenneth continues to grow his brand, not only through new collections, but also by moving his showroom to a much bigger area.
From Greenbelt in Makati City, Kenneth expanded his showroom to a two-floor space in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig. The space not only houses his signature and new pieces, but also has an art gallery and a whimsical cafe called Fable.
“The idea initially was to create a cafe exclusively for our clients, but as we began to develop that idea, it took on a life of its own, and that's Fable,” Kenneth recounted.
Kenneth said he wanted to “create a world of make believe” with the Fable Cafe, a world that is an “abstract representation” of our own world that is created by him.
And Kenneth made do of his promise as the cafe transports its visitors to a fantasy world through its intricate and unique decors. For instance, his Curio installation that hangs over tables are lamps that look like mesh cages containing curious objects like bugs and flowers made of steel mesh.
“It was an amalgam of all the things that I used to say about the stories, the inspiration behind the designs… I wanted Fable to be an expression of these stories that they used to tell, which I otherwise could not do in my designs,” Kenneth explained.
Aside from the Fable, Kenneth’s new showroom in BGC also features the Cloud Gallery, an art gallery that represents Southeast Asian artists and Ronald Ventura.
“It's one whole space. So every time you come, you can enjoy art, design, and food,” said Kenneth.
Kenneth Cobonpue Furniture, meanwhile, can be found on both floors, with the newer collections displayed on the ground floor, while the standard and signature collections are situated on the second floor.
“If you ask me the question of if there was anything I'd like to do years ago, I would never have thought of opening a cafe in BGC. You never know what comes, but I think that there's still so much that needs to be, that can be done, actually, with what I have, this unique brand, and this look that I kind of developed and discovered,” Kenneth said.
Kenneth said the future of Philippine art is very bright, while there are still things needed to be done to further Philippine design.
“I think it starts with design education, with exposure, and, of course, in part, marketing. And I've played the role. I've mentored a lot of young designers… I think that we need to be more distinct and we need to be more unique in the world of design,” he said.
He founded the Industrial Design program of the University of the Philippines Cebu and he is the chairman of the Department of Industrial Design at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
Overall, Kenneth thinks now is a “great time for Filipino creativity.”
“I think our government is trying to push and finally recognize the role of the creative industry. So, I think we have a bright future there. That said, there’s also a lot of competition from our Asian counterparts, especially when it comes to design and so we have to look within ourselves, to look within our culture, to understand what makes us unique as a people and find our voice, our place in the world of design.”