Kenneth Cobonpue is a multi-awarded furniture designer and manufacturer from Cebu, Philippines. His passage to design began in 1987, studying Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute in New York. While completing his studies, he apprenticed for a leather and wood workshop near Florence, Italy. He went on to study Furniture Marketing and Production at the Export-Akademie Baden-Württemberg in Reutlingen, Germany, under a private and state scholarship program, and subsequently worked in Bielefeld and Munich.
Kenneth returned home to Cebu in 1996 to manage Interior Crafts of the Islands, Inc., a furniture design and manufacturing company founded by his mother Betty Cobonpue in 1972. Discovering that modern design could have a new face using natural fibers and materials, Kenneth created pieces of functional art, offering an alternative to the Western definition of modern design. Today, the KENNETHCOBONPUE® brand has become known globally for its unique designs and extensive roster of clientele, including Hollywood celebrities and members of royalty.
With his masterful way of integrating nature, traditional craft and innovative technologies, designer and creative director Kenneth Cobonpue has earned international awards and recognition for his creative, organic, and expressive pieces. Working closely with some of the world’s leading designers, from household names to emerging talents, Kenneth has been pushing the envelope for design in the Philippines and sharing his vision to a global audience.
Awards to his credit include five (5) Japan Good Design Awards, the grand prize at Singapore International Design Competition, the Design for Asia Award of Hong Kong, the American Society of Interior Design Top Pick selection and the French Coup de Coeur award. Several of his designs were selected for several editions of the International Design Yearbook published in London and New York. Phaidon’s book entitled “& FORK” underscores Kenneth’s position as a leader of a new movement incorporating new technologies with crafts. In 2007, TIME magazine called him “rattan’s first virtuoso”. Kenneth was named the Designer of the Year in the first edition of Maison et Objet Asia held in March 2014 in Singapore.
Kenneth reveals new work each year in design shows from Milan to New York, and he speaks regularly about Southeast Asian design all over the world. He has also appeared in European television and in countless international magazines and newspapers around the world. Various Cobonpue designs have also appeared in full-length feature films and television, such as Oceans 13 and CSI.
Round Lamp
A spectacle of hundreds of individually bent metal rods embodies the playful nature of the Little People. Salago fiber is coated on individually hand bent metal to perfect its texture and the endless possibilities of whimsical creativity.
A spectacle of hundreds of individually bent metal rods embodies the playful nature of the Little People. Salago fiber is coated on individually hand bent metal to perfect its texture and the endless possibilities of whimsical creativity.
Side Chair
With its dramatic plume and generous scale, Zaza is clearly not your typical chair. A whimsical take on nature, the seemingly delicate fronds wrapped in microfiber not only provide supple yet ample support, but a theatrical backdrop as Zaza injects a playful element to any room.
Easy Armchair
The first design in the KENNETHCOBONPUE collection was destined to be a classic. Yin & Yang incarnates a fusion of opposing elements: geometric with organic, pliable rattan with rigid steel, and solid form with transparent volume. The collection is a solid integration of material, function and form.
Rocking Stool
A rocking stool topped in microfiber strips stitched to interchangeable covers, Harry will bring out the child in everyone.
Bed
We believe that whenever we fall asleep at night we journey to a world of dreams. What better way to travel than in a bed reminiscent of papyrus and reed boats? The Voyage is made of abaca, nylon and steel. Outdoor version of the Voyage is made of polyethylene, nylon and powder coated steel.
Lounge Chair
Inspired by fishermen’s nets and created from fabric twisted and wrapped around a stainless steel frame, the Dragnet lounge chair surrounds you like a cocoon. Made of polycotton and stainless steel. Outdoor version using Sunbrella fabric and stainless steel.
Stool
The Chiquita has a secret to tell, but only for those fortunate enough to enjoy it’s charms. Rigid and uncomfortable looking vertical sections of rattan poles unexpectedly recede into the seat for a pleasant surprise and a sitting experience like no other. Made of steel, rattan poles and high density foam.
Dining Table
With wooden elements arranged in the likeness of an ocean current, Wave is as much a sculpture as it is a table. Fashioned from solid walnut or maple, it captures and solidifies the undulation of the salty sea in a rhythmic, sculptural form – graceful and profound.
Easy Chair
Tapping the natural tension of the rattan vine, the Yoda supports your back and offers comfort concealed in the seeming randomness of the material. The rattan grows from the seat like tall grass in a field on a summers’ day, transforming your living space into a garden.
Easy Armchair Swivel
Welcome to the organic beauty of the garden indoors. Inspired by a delicate blossom, the Bloom is composed of hundreds of fine running stitches that radiate from the center of the seat. Handmade in microfiber stitched over a fiberglass reinforced top, Bloom sprouts from a base made of steel. Made of microfiber, steel and fiberglass reinforced polymer.
Easy Armchair
The Tilt chair is handmade in our workshops to very precise standards by our best wood craftsman. The pieces are individually cut, sanded and joined at different angles to create a work of art that celebrates masterful joinery. Tilt pays homage to the century-old tradition of woodworking.