Kenneth Cobonpue is an internationally acclaimed Cebu*-born furniture designer famous for his unique and intricate designs. A Pratt Institute alumni just like me, he is known to use local materials grown in his native Philippines such as rattan, kamagong, abaca and bamboo in tandem with new technologies. Kenneth has won a slew of awards here and abroad and has been featured in countless books and magazines.

Here are some pieces of his Croissant line of chairs, which placed first at the Singapore International Design Competition in 2004:

Croissant. Strands of abaca rope are tied down by translucent nylon wires over a hand-sculpted frame of light steel. Also available as outdoor version in polyethylene and steel.

More of Kenneth Cobonpue coming in future articles.

*Cebu, Philippines