Team DailyPedia
Does this APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) token look familiar?
Days after photos of the APEC tokens were revealed online, photographer and Twitter user JL Javier remarked that the souvenirs designed by world-renowned industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue “look exactly like Ryan Villamael’s pieces from a year ago.”
Dubbed as “Sama-sama,” the sculpture made of brass and finished in warm copper, pale silver, and yellow gold symbolizes unity, partnership as well as cooperation among APEC member countries. The specially-commissioned APEC gifts highlight communities of people around island formations that represent member economies.
“It’s made of highly-detailed brass figures floating around a three-dimensional map of the member economies. Their hands are all linked and they are all ascending to the top,” Cobonpue told CNN Philippines.
On the other hand, Villamael’s “Isles” exhibition featured map-themed sculptures made out of paper which were encased in bell jars. Early this year, the young artist known for his process of paper cutting bagged the top prize at the 2015 Ateneo Art Awards.
According to Status Mag Online, Ryan Villamael’s “Isles” put together his paper cutting technique with the art of map-making or cartography.
Cobonpue is famous for creating one-of-a-kind designs that integrate natural materials with revolutionary handmade production processes. This year, Cobonpue was tasked to design the venue for the APEC welcome dinner as well as create custom designed tokens for the event.
Do you think Cobonpue based his design on Villamael’s creation? Share your thoughts below.
