ASEAN FUSION PART 2: Around the world of Asean design with 18 designers

A new concept in Asian design called "ASEAN Fusion" was born at the Tendence Lifestyle Design Fair 2006 in Germany. Eighteen designers from ASEAN member countries joined forces to create a characteristic style that is a blend of traditional arts and crafts, and modern tastes. It brings Oriental grandeur face to face with Western understanding and appreciation.

Ten countries make up the regional cooperation group ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations): Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were the original members. Then Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam also joined. Together, these countries offer an incredibly diverse array of design sensibilities, motifs and influences – all of which make for an interesting mix of products.

Budji Layug and Tony Gonzales, two of the region’s celebrated designers, took the daunting task of creating and choosing products that embody the ASEAN look to make a distinctive lifestyle presentation.

For the first time, the ASEAN Fusion was presented at the Frankfurt Messe Tendence Fair in Germany.

These are the designers who gave time, euros, and brought their best creations to introduce ASEAN Fusion to the global world of design:

1) Budji Layug: A recognized leader and visionary in architecture and interior design, Budji got his Architecture degree from UST and also went to New York’s School of Interior Design.

Along with a group of top furniture designers called Movement 8, which he spearheaded and co-founded, he is a veteran of international shows and has received design awards from Paris, Spain, Cologne and New York.

His innovative mind has pushed the Movement 8 concept into a grander scale by once again coming up with the concept ASEAN Fusion. Launched at the Tendence Lifestyle Fair in Germany, the idea brings together the different countries across the region to showcase designs and materials that are indigenous yet foreign to those outside Southeast Asia, thus creating a regional identity.

2) Tony Gonzales: After acquiring a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, Tony poured his creative talent into endless experimentations using different materials, which led him to his main interest and favorite medium to date: paper. Together with his father, Tony established GSG Industries, which is known today as the leader in the handmade paper industry in the Philippines.

A tireless innovator, Tony advanced into paper conversion and ventured into setting up A Greeting Card Co. where his handmade greeting cards caught the interest of European buyers mainly from Germany and Holland. His innovative designs, as well as the quality of his products, won him avid buyers so that Tony was tapped to design other paper-based gift products and accessories now found in the best stores around the world.

A consultant to numerous design companies, Tony is continuously exposed to diverse materials, leading him to explore deeper into his creativity. His name is a byword in the fields of lighting, furniture, tableware, and other home accessories. Tony is a co-founder of Movement 8 and he designs for Locsin International.

3) Leonard Theosabrata: A graduate of the Art Center of Design in Indonesia, Leonard set up his company Accupunto Indonesia Pt., an international award-winning contemporary furniture company. His long list of awards includes the Red Dot Design Award, Germany 2003; Good Design Award, Japan 2003; Forum, Barcelona and Well Tech Award Milan which invited him to exhibit at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan this year. Leonard has also been featured in international design magazines and was included in Young Asian Designers published by DAAB Germany.

4) Gilles Gabriel Pochiet: Gilles is a graduate of the University of Paris and was once an active entrepreneur in the fashion industry. He now lives in the Philippines and put up Cielito Manufacturing Co. in Cebu.

5) Thawan Sirichote: "We work by heart" is the motto of Décor Vivant, based in Bangkok, Thailand, which produces decorative items in soft wood and veneer. Thawan produces new collections twice a year specifically for the Bangkok International Gift and Houseware Fair, Tendence Lifestyle in Frankfurt, and the Hong Kong Furniture and Gifts Show.

6) Milo Naval: Also a member of Movement 8, architect Milo took further studies at the Philippine School of Interior Design and after years of doing projects ranging from residential to commercial interiors, he founded Evolve Designs Inc., a company that manufactures and exports contemporary and modern furniture and accessories. The depth and quality of Milo’s talent have made Evolve a distinguished name in Europe, the Americas, Australia, and the Middle East.

Evolve is a sought-after company in Design Fairs such as the ones in Valencia, Spain; Maison & Objet in Paris; ICFF in New York; I Salone in Milan; and the IMM in Cologne, Germany.

7) Jeffrey Budiman: A degree in Architecture from Parahyangan Catholic University and consultancy experience with Grahacipta Hadiprana were the foundation of Jeffrey as he set up his own firm J. Budiman Architects, a household name in Indonesia today.

From architecture, Jeffrey went into the challenging world of furniture, art, lighting and bathroom design, which brought him overwhelming success. Jeffrey, however, does not simply enjoy the fruits of his labor. Instead he finds time to share his talents by helping those who are socially involved in the welfare of his countrymen such as churches, schools and mosques, and also security guard posts. "I believe in giving something back," he says. "Instead of us complaining, change has to be brought about by every individual who wants to see Indonesia grow."

8) Kenneth Cobonpue : Kenneth studied Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in New York. While completing his degree, he apprenticed for a leather and wood workshop near Florence, Italy. In 1994, he studied Furniture Marketing and Production at the Export Akademie Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany under a private and state scholarship program, and subsequently worked in Bielefeld and Munich.

He returned home to Cebu in 1996 to manage Interior Crafts of the Islands, Inc., a furniture design and manufacturing company founded in 1972 by his mother Betty Cobonpue, a designer famous for creating new techniques in designing rattan. Kenneth knew that modern design could use new natural fibers and materials, so he slowly created the pieces that form his collection today. Integrating locally sourced organic materials with innovative handmade production techniques offered an alternative to the Western definition of modern design. Kenneth reveals new work each year in design shows from Paris to Shanghai with Movement 8. He is also active in the advancement of Asian design – exhibiting, teaching and lecturing in the Philippines, USA, Japan and Korea.

9) Carlo S. Tanseco: Carlo’s designs have brought him recognition in different parts of the world. His work and design philosophies stem from creating furniture and furnishings, houseware, corporate giveaways and greeting cards from indigenous materials. He has won awards in design categories for innovative products, unconventional furniture and collections and booth designs being carried by the world’s notable retail companies.

Carlo takes pleasure in working with local manufacturers to increase and expand their capabilities and profitability through his design input. He has helped companies to develop distinctive products that can proudly carry the name Tanseco.

10) Dr. Ravi and Rashmi Singh: Ravi was born and brought up in India and has adopted the Philippines as his home. He is a naturopathic physician, a yoga teacher and a healer. He works together with his Filipina wife Rashmi (nee Girlie Tolentino), also a practicing naturopath, and a yoga teacher, healer, writer, and cultural manager. Their life is their art, and Light Works is one of the major initiatives that the couple has initiated.

Ravi fell in love with narra when he and Rashmi settled in the Philippines. His love affair with the wood brought out his talent for design and enhanced his technical innovativeness. His pieces, which were crafted by former farmers and out-of-school youth, were exhibited in art galleries in Manila and are now in private collections all over the world.

11) Pedro H. Delantar Jr.: An industrial engineer and inventor, Pete loves manufacturing. Through the years, he has developed a new medium using environment-friendly and sustainable materials. Because of his passion and exposure to indigenous materials, he immersed himself in designing and product innovation. He and his wife Catherine envision and create products that are distinctively Filipino and can thus command global attention.

12) Rene Alcala: In 1996, Rene started using metal as wall art décor, incorporating tealight holders to give a fresh and magical look. He experimented and fashioned different materials into leaves, transforming the lowly metal into a magnificent source of light. Since then, the company has become one of the best sources for wall metal votive holders that also double as wall art.

In 2004, Rene came out with his creation called "Manila Mirror," a line of mirrors lavishly decorated with glistening natural seashells. CITEM acknowledged its uniqueness by awarding it the prestigious Katha Award that year.

The shell mirror collection has spawned other houseware pieces and décor like small cabinets, boxes and picture frames. At last April’s Manila Fame Market Week, he won another Katha Award for his shell mirror boxes. Peter and Paul Inc. was founded in 1992 and has been exporting handicrafts since.

13) Anne Patricia Sutanto: Anne’s educational background is in chemical engineering and business administration at the University of Southern California, and she also has an MBA (specializing in finance) from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

She is the owner and director of several companies involved in garments, rattan and woven craft, lighting and indoor decoration, and garden furniture. One of these companies is PT Nine Square Indonesia, located in Jogja, Central Java. Her expertise and ability plus 17 years of company experience in export quality products have brought tremendous success to all her companies.

14) Iqbal Fachrudin: Born in Ujung Pandang, and brought up in a highly educated family, Iqbal was raised to be a man with a vision. He got his degree in Psychology Faculty at Padjadjaran University Bandung and this landed him a job with a Japanese company in Bali producing Japanese shrines.

The experience, along with his educational background, led him to be a young entrepreneur with the character and vision to maximize the indigenous Indonesian riches to represent his own national flag.

He sourced exemplars of Indonesian design and formed a new company known as Tropis–Designs from the Equator, hoping to showcase the best Indonesia could offer: young talents, the best materials and designs.

15) Nicolai Harmsen: With his background in cabinet making, Nicolai Harmsen started his company in 2003 and developed a range of small lacquer and eggshell accessories. It did not take long for his accent pieces to become favorites of high-end collections in Europe and the US.

Today, his factory is well known for producing a wide selection of quality furniture and accessories in lacquer with inlays of eggshell, mother-of-pearl and bamboo.

16) Maricris Floirendo Brias: The creative director of her own company carrying her name, Maricris is a woman with a deep personal concern for the welfare of ethnic tribes. The urge to dig deeper into the Filipino cultural heritage led her to study the various ethnic tribes of the country. Her findings inspired her to establish a weaving center as a way of helping prevent the extinction of one of these ethnic groups. A very hardworking, community-oriented, and family-centered individual, Maricris not only devoted her time to learning more about the T’bolis, she has also made known to the world the tinalak (a unique hand-woven material that is distinctly classic to the T’boli tribe) by incorporating it into a wide range of products from pillows, placemats and other home accessories.

17) Nguyen Thi To Nga: Nguyen founded Thien Thanh Co. Ltd. in 1998. She worked as a sales and marketing manager for a large multi-national company in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, prior to founding Thien Thanh Co., a manufacturing business of handcrafted products for export. Thien Thanh Co. now exports products all over the world, including Europe, Japan, the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia. The company has grown consistently over the years and now employs 20 in its administrative staff and 250 as factory workers. Her design philosophy combines local natural materials and skilled labor to put a fresh twist into the products.

18) Al Caronan: Al is an export entrepreneur and manages TN Philippines, a company that supplies Christmas and home accessories to the US, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong as well as to exclusive shops in the Philippines. He is also the material expert and consultant of DTI/CITEM working with Material ConneXion to transform indigenous materials for architectural and construction applications.

Al has engineered product innovations with Movement 8 and has likewise won Katha Awards for product design and visual merchandising at the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines’ Furniture Shows.