Opposite page: The AA small, medium
and large stools reach peak functionality
Hello! Please introduce yourselves.
Jar Concengco (JC): I am Jar Concengco, and I’m a
photographer. My wife, Kay, heads an executive search
firm, and we have partnered with Japanese furniture brand
Ishinomaki Laboratory to bring their products here in
the Philippines through a program called Made in Local.
I have always been interested in furniture, interior design
and architecture since I frequently photograph these on
assignment. Our interest in furniture design was piqued
during the process of building our home in 2014.
Where did you first encounter Ishinomaki Lab?
JC: I encountered Ishinomaki Lab while on
assignment for Japan Foundation. My friend, Marc Chavez
of the foundation, engaged me to shoot a workshop being
held at SoFA (School of Fashion & Arts) Design Institute.
They helped the creative communities of Brixton and
Escolta create communal furniture together. In that same
workshop, I was able to work with Keiji to build a bench
for myself specifically made for my garden.
Kay Concengco (KC): When Jar showed me what
Ishinomaki Lab makes, I was interested right away.
I loved the designs. As a person who likes to turn something
I believe in into a possible business opportunity, I asked
Jar to find out if we can bring the products to Manila.
I believe it would have a market here.
What attracted you to their products?
JC: The sheer minimalism of the pieces drew me in.
Once you get to feel them, see them in person and try them,
you’ll know they’re well designed. And once you get to know
Ishinomaki Lab’s story, you’ll further appreciate its aesthetic.
Ishinomaki Laboratory was born out of the
disastrous tsunami in 2011 as a community effort to
rebuild. Ishinomaki is a seaside town about a three-hour
Shinkansen ride northeast of Tokyo. It was the worst
affected of all other tsunami-hit communities. How they
were able to turn an experience so tragic into something
so beautiful and useful is so meaningful for me.
Jar and Kay Concengco
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