#48: Peter Matlowa

This week we are joined by skateboarder & photographer, Peter Matlowa, who tells us more about photobooks, bacon egg & cheese's from Cleo's Grind Coffee, finding a mentor! and more.

Peter Matlowa is a 24-year old skateboarder and photographer, originally from Vereeniging in the Vaal but currently based in Johannesburg. They’re currently pursuing a Mid-Level Course in Photography with Through The Lens Collective, with hopes of developing multiple photo-based works/projects, such as zines or photo books. When he is not making photos or skating, Peter is helping out at Neversafe–a brand his close friend Ofentse Meloa runs, and makes collages for this long term personal project about his life, called Alone In A Strange Place; or he’s running ZolsnJols, this satire or dumb page with his boy Bahbahroo. “We make some dumb shit, I love it though haha”.

We welcome Peter to The FRM Newsletter to share what he’s been into recently.

👟🛹 Fashion

Not a big fashion guy but I love a lot of the stuff Blondey McCoy makes with his brand, Thames, after leaving Palace. It's the idea of him making shit like boards but the company not necessarily being a skate company lol; and I love Bianca Chandon... Mostly because I found out one of my favourite all-time skateboarders is behind it haha... shout out Alex Olson.

🎶🌍 Music

A lot of what I've been listening to lately is mostly stuff made by my friends; really obsessed with this tape by Skate Rogers, an OG producer and artist from my hometown, titled ‘Sebokeng EP’. The sounds on that project are incredible, they remind so much of the idea of home and mostly growing up in the Vaal.

🖼📼 Art

Really fascinated by Thato Toeba's collage work. I missed her show with Stevenson in June because life kept getting in the way but her works are incredible. Another artist I really mess with by this skater dude I've seen on videos, I think his name is Kyle Garrison. He makes some super crazy airbrush paintings; a technique my close friend Ofentse and I have been trying to get into.

🎥🍜 Film

Just finished watching season 2 of The Bear; that thing was soo goood!! Episode 8 (forks) made me change my life tf up hahaha and other than that I watch a lot of YouTube stuff; mostly photography or skateboarding related like Paulie B, Graeme Williams (SA photo legend) and any new stuff on Freeskatemag, or the $100 Chill on Skate Jawn.

🥪🧃 Food

Cleo's Grind Coffee outside Ellis House in Doornfontein is my go-to every morning before class, or in the afternoon on my way back. They make a really great bacon, egg & cheese that I usually get with a coffee, or orange juice. When I'm feeling myself, I found this spot on Norwood called Fuji (lol, I know) and I’ve been getting all kinds of fried rice from there since moving back to Joburg.

📚📸 Books

Thanks to my course with TTLC, I get to read and look at a lot of photobooks that are either donated or gifted to my teacher, Michelle Loukidis, who constantly urges photo/Lens-based artist to always be looking at. From her collection, I have found some favourites like ‘Daleside’ by Lindokuhle Sobekwa, ‘Microlight’ by Jansen Van Staden and ‘House of Bondage’ by legendary photographer Ernest Cole. Def looking to collect myself if I finally start making some decent money off my work or whatever. Obsessed with Ed Templeton's ‘Wires Crossed’ at the moment; if I could get a copy of that I would be extremely satisfied with my life rn hahaha.

🗣🧠 Tips

For all my youngers in the arts or whoever really, I think finding a mentor or someone to talk to about your creative endeavour is very important. I don't think you have to even share the same discipline but just to get a different perspective could go a long way; I share stuff I'm working on with numerous kinds of people, from journalists to lawyers haha, and you never know what someone might say that could help shift your thinking or point you in the right direction. So don't be afraid of hitting niggas up... worst they'll do is say no lol.