Architecture & Design

With numerous accolades under his belt—including the Industrial Design Award for his Geo table in the 2010 Science and Technology National Invention Contest and the Best Design for Material Innovation for his Wrinkle lamp at the Cebu Next 2010 show—one would think that this Cebuano designer would just be resting on his laurels. No, nothing can stop this creative visionary. He recently launched Casa Selma, a brand that allows him to design products for the home as well as give back to communities in need.

Read more: Vito Selma Introduces New Furniture Brand at Power Plant Mall

Art

You may have seen the hashtag #HomeExhibitForYoji on Instagram during the early days of the pandemic in 2020. While seemingly mundane, the project is actually this visual artist’s commentary on the claustrophobia of never-ending lockdowns. By using everyday objects as installations around his home, he developed an out-of-the-box exhibit dedicated to his five-year-old son, posted across several months. The Load na Dito co-founder offers a new way of processing our histories, realities and shared experiences through his art.

Architecture & Design

Architectural Provocateur: his preferred designation is on point, for the acclaimed architect never fails to provoke with his designs. Residences with museums; the Loop House with its indoor bike/jogging path that leads outdoors; and his favourite, the Infinity House that is globally recognised for merging art, architecture and great engineering. The Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto calls him an architect/artist. Understandably, he is drawn to like-minded creatives: the artist-activist Olafur Eliasson and the late Virgil Abloh who recontextualised the everyday.

Read more: Architect Carlo Calma Re-Shapes Home Design for our Post-Pandemic New Normal

Architecture & Design

There is no way one can box this designer in the category of boring. His eclecticism does not only jump from style to style but traverses a wide gamut of design eras. “I can go from ultra-modern to Hispano-Filipino, all the way back to the Stonehenge,” he says. Consequently, flexibility follows, as he remembers building his beach house where he played “the client, architect, interior designer, contractor and landscaper”. With this designer and Hispano-Filipino heritage advocate, life is indeed exciting and full of surprises.

Read more: Casa Manila, Intramuros Renovation: Exclusive Interview with Arch J Antonio Mendoza

Architecture & Design

For this award-winning furniture and interior designer, designing is an act of storytelling, except that the language used in furnishing a space is one of colours and objects. The chief visual storyteller’s Gregoria lounge chair, which pays homage to his mother after whom it was named, became an iconic masterpiece. Among his notable projects is the Asean 50th anniversary where he designed almost 300sqm space, allowing him to tell a story from the past, present and future through the eyes of a Filipino.

Read more: Heart and Heritage: Ito Kish on His Inspiration and New Collection

Architecture & Design

Estudio Arkipelago takes its mission—to marry beauty, simplicity and practicality—seriously, according to its co-head of design. He also believes that he owes his growth to some of the greatest talents in the country, which only proves that he is here to collaborate rather than compete to contribute to Philippine architecture. With his company, he has worked on notable projects like the Co-Koro private residence, La Pícara restaurant in Bonifacio Global City and Siargao Villas.

Read more: Home Tour: Inside Camille Co-Koro and Husband Joni's Chic Scandinavian Abode

Art

This creative force has won the CCP Thirteen Artists Award, Ateneo Art Award in 2009 and other international accolades and exhibition grants. Her craftsmanship shows in her mastery of design using a myriad of media. Lately, fuelling her creativity is pottery: “There is an immediacy in the practice that appeals to me: the limited time you can work with clay and knowing when to quit. Otherwise, you’ll just ruin the piece,” she shares. “There’s a lot of tradition but also of experimentation.”

Art

Though coming from a family of artists and academicians, she made a name for herself in the local contemporary art scene. After graduating cum laude at the University of the Philippines, this painter became known for her monumental works. Play and perseverance are two things that she associates with her growth as an artist. “You must never lose your sense of wonder and awe; beyond that, fighting for your vision is a battle you will constantly wage—and surprisingly mostly with yourself,” she advises.

Architecture & Design

Philux’s chief operating officer has made a name for herself in interior design. Having worked alongside her sister, Jessica Kienle Maxwell, at her family furniture business, Gonzalez can lay claim to being a true creative with inspiring visions of cosy and thoughtfully curated interiors. But now, she’s stretched her wings even further; this time through the written word, authoring a new book published by Rizzoli that centres on purposeful and intentional living. In it, she honours fellow creatives alongside her own design ideas to create an enlightening lifestyle read.

Read more: Stephanie Kienle Gonzalez Reveals Her First Book on Life, Design, and Style