Kenneth Cobonpue: Designing the Future

By Dexter R. Matilla

Combining traditional materials with eco-friendly, innovative methods and a modern aesthetic, Cobonpue is, once again, ahead of the curve.

“The day I stop dreaming is the day I stop breathing,” Kenneth Cobonpue admits. To describe him simply as a dreamer would be doing a grave injustice, to the person who was referred to in the International Herald Tribune as the “poster boy” of Cebu’s vibrant furniture manufacturing industry.

Fame followed multiple awards, and pretty soon, the Kenneth Cobonpue label surpassed the mainstream and graduated into the realm of signature pieces.

A lot has been written about him. We all know about how he woke up to the sound of nails and the songs of carpenters working while his mother Betty made furniture in the backyard of their house in Cebu.

“I remember my mom giving me picture books as a kid whenever I was sick in bed. Those books were a window to the world and I actually looked forward to being confined in bed where my mind could fly without boundaries,” he relates. We have heard about his Industrial Design years at the Pratt Institue in New York, his awards, and of course, the Brad Pitt angle.

Design awards, meanwhile, keep landing in his lap. In the last two years alone, recognitions came from as far as France, Germany, India, and the United States. His distinctive works appeared in exhibits, restaurants, award shows, and even music videos.

“Although I get praise from many people who come across my work for the first time, it’s fascinating how many different answers I get when I ask why,” he says. “The answer can be anything as simple as color and shape to the ecological impact of the materials I use. First impressions are always visual and emotional in nature. But to me, a design is never finished until somebody starts using it. And that’s the ultimate test of my labors. How does it work? Is it comfortable? Does it make my life more enjoyable? Design is intelligence made visible.”

The latest convert to his design principles is the high profile car manufacturer Lexus. A pioneer in luxury hybrid cars, Lexus began its Hybrid Living program to explore new ideas of how life can be experienced in such a way that minimizes the impact on the earth without sacrificing comfort and luxury. The campaign focused on people who are living testaments to the cause. Kenneth joins an international panel that includes Coyuchi’s Christine Nelson, Soho Restaurant’s Peter Hoffman, clothing designer Linda Loudermilk, and artist Paul Hayes.

Kenneth’s reputation has grown much wider in the last few years. A Google search carries much of the same things—awards and validations of dynamic designs that are distinctively unique. Which is not to say that he has no opinions on the immediate world around him. On mentioning the recently concluded ASEAN Conference in Cebu, he suddenly became critical and we saw a different side.

“I wish I could have designed the street lights which were hastily erected for the ASEAN meeting in Cebu that are now the subject of a graft investigation,” Kenneth says. Coming from him, they would have been original, unique, and something we could be proud of. Best of all, it would have been made locally. “How can we even trumpet our design and manufacturing prowess against our Asian neighbors when we have to import ugly glow-in-the-dark poles masquerading as street lamps from China! I wish designers had a say in the planning of our cities. Tourism is such an important component of our nation’s recovery. In the end, we are subject to the tastes and whims of our politicians whom we elect to pass laws, not design monuments.”

It is refreshing to note that even in his immaculate atelier, the artist in Kenneth did not remain isolated. In what can only be termed as frustration, he shows his mettle first and foremost as a local citizen, not the international persona that so often robs people of their own identity.

“I am working on a car made of bamboo and carbon fiber,” Kenneth continues his civic musings. “The next frontier in design will be the intelligent use of ecological and man-made materials.” An avid car enthusiast, one can only wonder where this new road will take Kenneth the designer.

To describe him as avant-garde, someone who consciously rejects tradition, puts into question his practice of using rattan and other materials that are traditional in nature.

“I am experimenting with new high-tech materials and injecting color into my work,” he says. “Working with natural materials confines you to the colors found in nature. I am trying to go beyond that and use bold reds and yellows.”

“It’s a welcome change to the usual design standards,” he says. “It’s fun turning my child-like sketches into grown-up objects. I enjoy designing and seeing my ideas come to life. That others and I can live off it is a blessing indeed. The awards validate my belief that design and branding make good business sense.”

Having a good business sense certainly helped him realize his visions.

“It challenges you to dig deeper into your mind and come up with ideas that are new and fresh,” he explains. “On the other hand, you have people who think that the designs you come up with are the only things the market wants nowadays. That’s why you have copycats.”

He dreams of starting a design school, if he could only find time for it.

“I will grab the opportunity when it comes,” Kenneth, who currently teaches at the University of the Philippines in Cebu, said. “I have a teaching methodology which I feel is appropriate to our country’s condition. I believe that we are on this earth to live for one another. Teaching and sharing what I have is my own little way of giving back what I am blessed with.”

When he finally decides to take it easy, contented with all that he has accomplished, Kenneth probably deserves some accolade to personify what he has achieved. A street named after him wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

“Calle Cobonpue? Even the potholes should have a unique style,” he jokingly responds.

“My dream is to create a city that is modern, organic, ecological and visually unique that people all over the world come to associate with today’s Filipino,” Cobonpue says. “I want to do other things besides furniture. I want to go into making interior spaces, architecture, sculpture and transportation. What I have is a unique design aesthetic that is applicable to many fields.”

So it goes back to how to best describe Cobonpue. A visionary perhaps? Cobonpue offers a simple answer: “A brand with a soul at the forefront of natural, ecological, and stylish living.”

However he is described now or in the future, one thing is certain, Kenneth Cobonpue has left an indelible mark in the local design world that’s sure to be the standard for those who wish to follow a similar path. But the next generation may have to wait a little bit longer as Cobonpue still continues to awe the world with his grown up objects dreamt out of child-like sketches.

Originally published in the Feb-March 2008 issue of ZEE Lifestyle Magazine

~ by thegame121 on March 12, 2008.