Kenneth Cobonpue is a multi awarded industrial designer and manufacturer from the Philippines.

He graduated with a degree in Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute in New York (1991) and subsequently worked and studied in Italy and Germany.

In 1995, he returned to the Philippines to manage the furniture company of his mother Betty, a well design pioneer in rattan furniture. In 1998, he established his own brand which is known for unique and artistic handmade designs. The company that he leads today has more than 300 employees and craftsmen based on the island of Cebu, and has offices and showrooms in Germany, Portugal, Manila and the USA. His designs have been featured in many full length films and counts among its clientele many celebrities and members of royalty.

With his masterful way of integrating nature, traditional crafts and technology, Cobonpue has earned international awards and recognition for his designs, among them Japan’s Good Design Award, the Design for Asia Award, and the ICFF Craftsmanship Award. Maison et Object awarded him the first Asian Designer of the Year Title, and in 2006, TIME magazine dubbed him “ Rattan’s great virtuoso”

In 2020, the Cultural Center of the Philippines awarded him their highest prize for his contribution to Filipino culture and design.

Cobonpue founded the Industrial Design Program in the University of the Philippines – Cebu; and became the Chairman of the Department of Industrial Design at De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde.

He holds several key government and private positions, and sits on the board of several businesses and organizations. He reveals new work each year in Milan, North Carolina, New York and Singapore, and gives talks about Asian design all over the world. Cobonpue continually mentors young designers and leads a new generation of Southeast Asian designers trying to find their unique voice in the global world of design.