MANILA, PHILIPPINES — For renowned Filipino furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue, slow pace can be a good thing. In his words, it was refreshing to be able to pause and zero in on the consciousness of being a designer. This was his 2022 — a breather. “We had time to stop and smell the flowers, so to speak,” Kenneth said. For a designer of his calibre, he still opted to spend the time bettering his craft. During the span of the year, his works were featured in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Inventing Anna, and Smart Infinity’s series. More recently, his collaboration with K-pop girl group Blackpink featuring his bloom chairs gained much attention. “I always used to say that the world doesn't need another chair,” he explained. “And I think if we make one, it has to be something that's meaningful, and something that humanity needs, not just something that we make to sell.” When asked about the importance of showcasing Filipino talent on the global stage, Kenneth said, “The great thing about our culture is we are so open and I think we're very adaptable. I think our designs should speak about our culture.” These designs can go anywhere in point in the world and still keep the Filipino identity. This is evident not only in his worldwide renown, but now in his country as well. In September 2022, he was awarded with the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, a distinction given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines. “I think that it's great that an institution like the CCP recognizes the role that design play because it's actually part of our culture.” Kenneth said that most fields associated with the award has something to do with more conventional art such as visual or performance, but to put object design in the same spectrum would go a long way since the skills and traditions that go into the craft are getting deprioritized. While the rest of the world is getting back out there and taking their revenge on travel and events, he said that there is no such thing like that for designers. “I believe not for designers, not in our field,” Kenneth mused. He explained that design, unlike travel and events which were prohibited during the pandemic, can be done within the confines of his home. He added that the behavioral shift of bringing greenery inside homes and incorporating folia in interior designs served the business well as his team has been doing it for far longer before it became a trend — boosting inspiration, creativity and productivity inside despite the restrictions of the lockdown. However, among his plans for the resurgence of activations are several exhibits slated in the next few months: “We have about five to six exhibitions in the United States, all across the country. We have certain pop-up exhibitions in Europe. We're particularly excited, because we're now concentrating also in Asia.” Throughout the first half of 2023, Kenneth has plotted shows for his collections, with the earliest being Bangkok Design Week on February 04. March 15 to 16, Design Edge in Miami April 22 to 26, High Point Market in North Carolina May 02 to 04, HD Expo in Las Vegas Comparing the current pace of the business, which has grown because of the expansion of home sales, to the pre-pandemic one where they “were just chasing all the shows and new things to exhibit,” the release of the pressure has allowed him to take a break from the rat race. I hope we can take lessons along the way and make our work more meaningful. For Kenneth, it is hard to predict what is next and what has not yet been seen, but between doing global projects and mounting exhibits, he is intent on strengthening his brand’s presence while maintaining his ethos for sustainability and meaning. See Kenneth Cobonpue’s works at his website.
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