Chini Lichangco sculpts light
As she continues to refine her craft, Chini prepares to unveil new custom lighting installations and is set to represent the Philippines at EMERGE, an international exhibit of ASEAN designers in Singapore.
Daily TribuneAs she continues to refine her craft, Chini prepares to unveil new custom lighting installations and is set to represent the Philippines at EMERGE, an international exhibit of ASEAN designers in Singapore.
photograph courtesy of Kevin Pineda Chini Lichangco designer portrait.
Chini while creating her Kaia lamps.
photograph courtesy of kenneth paz
The designer, together with Kenneth Cobonpue and Leni Robredo, for the Banca collection for MovEd.
Meridith
The design team of Kenneth Cobonpue in 2019.
Meridith
Kaia lamp.
Photograph courtesy of Miles Wency
MAGNOLIA side chair close up detail.
photograph courtesy of MILES WEnCY
Magnolia side chair and Maya tea set.
Photograph courtesy of MILES WEnCY
maya tea set.
Photograph courtesy of MILES WEnCY
From her earliest days, her entire world was a workshop. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been into creating,” shared furniture, accessories and lighting designer Chini Lichangco. “I’ve been intrigued by anything visually pleasing to the eyes.”
Growing up happily surrounded by blueprints, bricks and beams, thanks to her family’s roots in the construction industry, she tightly embraced the creative potential in the most industrial of materials. “It became a kind of playground for me,” she recalled, “where I could nurture my ‘what ifs’ — the many ideas in my head — into reality.”
A graduate of Industrial Design from De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, she credits her collegiate years — and a pivotal internship curating regional artisan crafts for Manila FAME — with deepening her appreciation for the Filipino maker’s ingenuity. And that sense of awe would only grow stronger.
“I truly admire Kenneth Cobonpue’s work,” she says of her post-college aspirations. “So after I hit send on my application email, I just prayed and hoped for the best.” That leap of faith landed her a four-year apprenticeship under the country’s most celebrated furniture designer. It would become, in her own words, “one of the most formative experiences of my career.”
Today, Chini’s obras delicately balance the fine line between sculpture and utility. Her lighting pieces — organic, tactile and expressive — feel less like regular fixtures and more like living poetry.
“There was something magical about how light could completely transform a space,” she reflected. “It sets the mood, creates depth, and illuminates an emotional quality to a room.”
That spark is central — the heartbeat — of her craft. She experiments with paper, wire and clay, bending and re-bending, shaping and reshaping each into new, almost meditative forms.
“I’m always curious to see how far I can push the familiar,” she said. “My favorite tool will always be my two hands. You leave traces of yourself in the work. Your rhythm, your intention, your energy.”
It is in the spirit of absolute honesty that she created her most meaningful piece, Kaia. A deeply emotional piece of work during a time of personal uncertainty, it also marked her first design created under her own name.
Her influences are both intimate yet global — from the animated worlds of Hayao Miyazaki, the futuristic textures of Iris van Herpen, to the expert mentorship of Kenneth Cobonpue. Chini also admires Yuko Nishikawa’s ceramic lamps, creations that, like hers, go beyond function and into feeling.
Although rather soft-spoken in person, Chini is eloquent through her art. “I’m not the most verbally expressive,” she confided. “So I let my work speak for me. My pieces are a burst of expression — they say everything I sometimes can’t.”
As she continues to refine her craft, Chini prepares to unveil new custom lighting installations. She is set to represent the Philippines at EMERGE, an international exhibit of ASEAN designers in Singapore.
Let’s hear more about her thoughts:
Experience with Kenneth Cobonpue
“I worked with Kenneth Cobonpue for four years, and it honestly felt like attending another design school. My first project was a ceramic collection for the charity MovEd. I explored sculpting forms inspired by boats. From then on, every project brought a new challenge and new learning.”
Most meaningful piece
“I’ll always come back to my very first design, Kaia. I just needed to form something honest and true to what I was feeling. That authenticity connected with people.”
Inspirations
“I find inspiration in everyday life, most especially in nature. There’s a quiet kind of poetry in the often-overlooked moments.”
Life experiences
“My process mirrors how I live: by trial and error. I try, I fail, I try again — each time making fewer mistakes until I get closer to what feels right. I don’t believe my creation is ever perfect, but I keep working to make it better.”