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Top designer from the Phillipines, Kenneth Cobonpue
Kenneth Cobonpue, born 1968 Cebu City, the Phillipines is an industral, furniture designer who is best known for his unique style, using natural forms with rattan, bamboo, buri and abaca.
Kenneth Cobonpue
His youngest creative talent was developed at his mother's furniture factory at Cebu City, it was the start of a dazzling carreer. Cobonpue is project and furniture designer for filmsets, exclusive hotels and holiday resorts. He also is the favorite designer for many Hollywood stars. Brad Pitt bought a Lolah cocoonbed after a visit at Cobonpue's showroom in Los Angelos. Kenneth's remarkeble furniture is used in films and televison serials, such as Ocean 11, and the remake of Total Recall. He was assigned to decorate Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Presentation of Bloom chair, Chiquita tabouret, Lolah chair, Cloud lamp by Hive
In the late eighties he studied industrial design at the Pratt Institute of Design in New York. After been graduated Kenneth travelled to Europe to gaine more experience in designing. In Germany and Italy he found work as a teacher at various schools and workshops. In 1994 he moved to the United States to find an appointment at one of the large design studios. Two years later in 1996, troubled by lack of work he returned to the Phillipines
Yoda serie of. dining chairs, sofa's, tabourette's, table's and accessories
Back home, full of new ideas, he took over the leadership of his mother's factory at the age of 28 years. He changed the policy of the firm, that at those times was recognized by manufacturing traditional rattan home-furniture. The swing to experimental new designs was a breaktrough, with his collection of Yin-Yang. The beds and chairs of this collection were made of rattan strips on steelframes and wickerwork with round and square forms.
The experimental Phoenix Car
An other much praised collection was a range of furniture he called the Lolah-collection, where Cobonpue used traditional techniques of local shipbuilding. In this serie he experimented with rattan to the most flexibilty of the material, what he shaped to sensual forms. This also, brought him to the idea to design an enviromental friendly car, ofcourse in the basic material of rattan in combination with automotive technques.
The Phoenix Car, Chiquita tabouret, Dragnet Chair, the Noodle Lamp
At exhibitions all around the world, Cobonpue made a remarkeble statement with this car. Many international glossy magazines wrote about this experimental vehicle for short distances. His name was worldwide settled among wellknown designers. He proved that rattan is a natural material with unexpectable applications, not seen before.
Dragnet Chairs in red, well fitting at a swimmingpool
Kenneth Cobonpue received several international awards. In France, at the Hong Kong Design Centre and the Singapare International Furniture Design, he won first prizes. A number of his designs were choosen for three consecutive editions of the leading International Design Yearbook. Great fame he achieved with the Voyage-collection, including the Cocoon-shaped beds. With the Opera petsofa he created furore again. Inspirated by The Sydney Operahouse, dog-lovers buy it by hunderds in Hollywood.
The Operetta Dogsofa
Text © 2011 Albert Prins
Source photo; Google Picture Gallery, Kenneth Cobonpue.com
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Ik ben Albert Prins
