Here, we ask a designer to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their lives.
Age: 48
Occupation: CEO, creative director, and industrial designer
Hometown: Cebu City, Philippines
Studio location: Cebu City
Describe what you make: I design and create functional art that, hopefully, makes people happy.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: In 2015, I was commissioned by the Office of the President of the Philippines to be the creative director for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Welcome Dinner. I created the entire set design for the arena where the dinner was held, and designed souvenir tokens for the twenty-one world leaders in attendance. I also redesigned our Yoda chair exclusively for the occasion. Afterward, together with UNICEF Philippines, six of the chairs were auctioned to benefit children’s programs. They fetched a total of almost $195,000—making it the organization’s most successful auction in many years.
The problem your work solves: Asia hasn’t always been recognized for its innovation and creativity. I’d like to think the success of our brand is helping to change that perception.
