Filipino industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue is known for his creative furniture pieces that look more like artworks than home furnishings. According to him, he likes to design "functional art" and this philosophy can be seen in his pieces like the iconic Bloom chair that is both beautiful and comfortable. As a Pinoy designer, he also champions Filipino craftsmanship by showcasing his designs on the international stage.
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00:00I think nothing makes me more happy than to see people enjoy my designs and a lot of the pieces
00:05I design, people call functional art. It's fun, it's whimsical. That should be the role of design,
00:12to make people wonder and to be like kids again. Hi, I'm Kenneth Cabonpue and I'm an industrial
00:20designer. I've always wanted to be an industrial designer even before I knew what that profession
00:32was. I enjoyed making things as a child and I showed them to my mother and it gave her a lot of
00:39joy. The one thing that I have to say changed my career would have to be the voyage bed
00:50because that's the bed that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bought. That bed is photogenic
00:56and it's been used in a lot of pictorials and videos like Maroon 5 is never gonna leave this bed.
01:02There's that prejudice that nothing luxurious can come from a third world country like the
01:07Philippines and I have to work harder to prove to people around the world that our products are as
01:14good as their European counterparts. I had to let the products speak for themselves and so the
01:20designs had to be very distinctive, very good, that even if they didn't look good, they would
01:28be amazed by it. The main things that are characterized by brand is the fact that it's
01:33handmade, that's all made in the Philippines and it's made to evoke also emotion.
01:43There is really no formula for inspiration, right? So I have to continually look inside myself,
01:48all my experiences, all my dreams, and to look within ourselves to see what we can do.
01:55all my experiences, all my dreams, and to look within our culture and see what makes it unique.
02:00There's also an increasing trend towards sustainability. You make something
02:04really well that you don't throw it away and you pass it on for generations.
02:15So we're developing always new collections in both for accessories and there's also
02:21indoor and outdoor furnitures. So we're still part of the international show circuit like Milan
02:26and New York and Las Vegas and we're always developing new installations because people
02:32are looking now for that unique art not only in the Philippines but also around the world.
02:39My sincere desire is to have a full new generation of designers, you know, continue and expand the
02:46work that I started. My advice to an inspiring furniture designer is to be really good in your
02:52craft in a second to eventually find your place in the world.
03:09so
03:26you