Artist and Benilde Industrial Design graduate Chini Lichangco: ‘Under the ocean secured from the storm’
Designed to give light and hope amid one of the world’s longest lockdowns, the Kai’a Hanging Lamp by young Filipino visionary Chini Lichangco was awarded the Best in Use (Product) Award at the 2021 London International Creative Competition (LICC).
Established in 2006, the LICC aims to reward the freshest and most progressive talents from across the globe in Architecture, Photo/Video, Art, Graphic, Interior, and Product Design, in the professional and non-professional categories.
Among the thousands of entries, the Kai’a Hanging Lamp from the non-professional division caught the attention of the jury members and industry experts.
The piece was conceptualized and created to transform the innovator’s pandemic anxieties into a manifestation of hope. “As an artist boxed within the four walls, I had to divert and pour my energy into creating something positive,” Lichangco explained.
“Its soft warm glow mimics the veil of light trickling underneath the ocean,” she described. “It enthralls the viewers and wraps them in deep-sea serenity—under the ocean secured from the storm above and portraying life safe from peril.”
The lighting fixture embodies the design philosophy of the Industrial Design graduate from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts.
The artist apprenticed under the world-acclaimed designer Kenneth Cobonpue in Cebu, learning more about design philosophies and gaining experience working with diverse types of materials.
For the Kai’a Hanging Lamp, Lichangco relied on biomimicry to form the installation. With sustainability in mind, she minimized the use of plastic products and by-products during the design phase. Instead, she reimagined pieces of parchment paper as scales, intricately placed along the body of the structure.
“My 2021 has been a whirlwind of ups and downs but we remain always grateful!” she beamed. “This is a call that whichever situation we’re in, don’t lose hope and keep moving forward.”
Lichangco is starting her own studio in Manila.
Styled for bedroom – Kai’a Hanging Lamp by Artist and Benilde Industrial Design Graduate Chini Lichangco
Discover more about Lichangco and her creations on her official Instagram account @chinilichangco. For orders and inquiries, email [email protected].
