From beads to murals

In the heart of Katutura, nestled inside the Bokamoso Incubation Centre, Store A2, lies a world alive with colour, form and movement.

Here, Namibian jewellery designer and visual artist Petrina Matthews creates works that blur the lines between adornment and self-expression. She produces striking T-shirt prints, textile designs that transform fabric into wearable canvases, and large-scale mural paintings that bring colour and conversation to public spaces. Each creation, whether worn or displayed, carries her signature touch of craftsmanship and storytelling.

Matthews’ artistry began in childhood, shaped by the influence of her grandmother, a fashion designer who introduced her to fabrics, beads and the power of creation. “I would collect leftovers and create something out of it,” she recalls. What began as playful experiments soon grew into a lifeline, funding her medical expenses in her teenage years and eventually evolving into a lifelong passion.

Her jewellery pieces – earrings starting at N$20, necklaces from N$80, and shoulder beads beginning at N$500 – carry more than aesthetic value. Each one holds fragments of memory, inspiration and deeply personal stories.

“Sometimes I dream about them. Other times, I sit and create and I can’t tell you where it came from,” she explains. Whether sparked by a client’s idea, a dream, or her fascination with shapes and colours, Matthews’ creations embody individuality.



Artistic voice

Yet jewellery is only one part of her artistic voice. Matthews paints not with brushes but with her body – hands, feet and movement becoming instruments of expression. “My work is me embracing vulnerability and exposing who I am and what I feel,” she says. Each performance and painting becomes a raw conversation with her emotions, her pains and the truths she refuses to silence.

Her last collection, inspired by the theme of reality, drew on pearls, gold and clear beads to represent clarity and truth. “I was intrigued by reality,” she reflects, “and wanted to create designs that mirror its essence.”

Though the location of her studio presents challenges, Matthews welcomes both Namibian patrons and tourists who seek out her work. For many, her pieces are more than accessories; they are extensions of her bold statement: that art is life, vulnerability is strength, and creation is freedom.

As she continues to dance, bead and paint her story into existence, Petrina Matthews is not just crafting jewellery or canvases – she is weaving together fragments of her soul for the world to see.