Masterpieces by three designers of globally recognized brands in home furnishing were featured in the Contemporary Design showcase held at the Kenneth Cobonpue Showroom in Greenbelt. They are Matt Carr of Toronto-based homeware design company Umbra; Arno Ruijzenaars of clock master, LEFF Amsterdam; and renowned Filipino furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue.
Subtle design detail, style references, and the reinvention of traditional objects distinguish the signature designs of Umbra design director Matt Carr. Recent inspirations include mixing cross-cultural orientations while combining new technology with natural materials.
Among the highlights of the showcase include pieces from Umbra Shift – a line a line that emergend when designers were asked to redesign personal objects that they themselves would want to give as gifts or use at home – resulting in a functional, familiar, and forward thinking collection that expresses the diverse points of view of the designers.
The Coiled Stool for instance is inspired by the highly admired traditional basket-making techniques of the Philippines. Hand-woven threads cover a rattan core for a comfortable tractor seat. The Coiled Stool was so well received that a barstool version was also created to fit easily into casual and formal environments. Also part of the Umbra Shift collection is the Brick Lamp, an adjustable LED task lamp.
Admireres of Arno Ruijzenaars – one of the founders and lead designers of clock masters LEFF Amsterdam – say his pieces evoke heart, beauty and function. “Lef” is a Dutch word derived from the Hebrew word for heart, but it also means “doing something that others don’t dare to do, like pushing boundaries and going against the grain.” This is precisely the reason why Ruijzenaars, together with his brother Dennis and designer Erwin Termaat, established the brand in 2011: to break away from the “dull and boring basics.”
This explains why the rband’s designers are inspired to create beautiful clocks that everyone wants to have – even if nobody really needs a clock.
LEFF recently collaborated with prolific designer Piet Hein Eek to create the Tube Clock whose starting point was a tube and an extrusion ring. Other Eeek masterpieces include the Tube Audio, a bluetooth speaker that delivers extraordinarily solid sound, and the Tube Wood, wooden beams that make great table clocks when combined with the Tube Clock.
Cebuano industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue is known for using natural materials such as rattan, bamboo, abaca, and buri palm to create beautiful, functional, and long-lasting pieces.
His innovative, ergonomic, and comfortable Yoda chairs for the world leaders during the recent Asia Pacific Economic Conference welcome dinner have given him global renown. Inspired by blades of glass, the Yoda chair strikes a balance between simplistic form and eye-catching detail. The chairs are made of either split rattan for the indoor version or PVC for the outdoor version.
The perfect marriage of beauty and function is the common principle shared by designers across the globe – the force that binds Umbra, LEFF Amsterdam, and Kenneth Cobonpue.
Catch the Contemporary Design Showcase at the Kenneth Cobonpue Showroom located at The Residences, San Lorenzo Tower, Greenbelt, Makati City.