This week’s APEC is already generating a lot of buzz in more ways than one. Even the official Presidential token called Sama-sama by industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue has it own share of controversy. Netizens have pointed out the piece’s stark resemblance with artist Ryan Villamael’s previous work called Isles. Ryan didn’t stay mum on the issue and, instead, wanted to focus on more important things.
“I think it’s best to get Kenneth’s side. I know that he’s very much against intellectual dishonesty, and he has always been a great role model for Western and Oriental creatives alike. I have always thought of him as a global icon of 21st century Philippine design, and I have nothing but respect for him. Let us all celebrate Filipino artistry as the East and the West converge on our shores during this year’s APEC. This is our moment. Let’s make it count,” he tells Preen.
Four days ago, Kenneth took to his Instagram account to announce that he has been selected to craft the tokens for the heads of state attending the event. He posted his creation, which is enclosed in glass, describing it as “a sculptural narrative of APEC’s cultural, social, and political diversity” with “detailed figures symbolizing different races, linked to each other as they ascend to the top.”
Though the piece was highly elaborate and seemed genuine, photographer JL Javier tweeted that the Cobonpue piece “looks exactly like Ryan Villamael’s pieces from a year ago.”
Last year, Ryan created Isles, a collection of sliced up maps of the world contained in bell jars for Silverlens Gallery—the very collection that won him the Fernando Zobel Prize for Visual Arts at this year’s Ateneo Art Awards held this September. Coincidentally, Ryan, himself, just posted a piece from the collection on his Instagram account. Hmm, now we see it.
The most striking resemblance between the two works lies not only in the glass enclosure but also in the abstract figure inside it. Though Kenneth’s is cast from brass and finished with gold, silver, and copper and Ryan’s work is made from paper, one cannot help but see the glaring similarities in both works’ form.
Was it purely coincidence, then? We want to hear it from Kenneth, too!
Preen has reached out to Kenneth Cobonpue to comment on the issue.