Introduction and interview Patrick Kasingsing
Images Matthew Burgos
I first met Milan-based Filipino design editor Matthew Burgos online during the thick of the pandemic in 2021 when he emailed Kanto to pitch himself as a contributor. My managing editor Dani and I were immediately struck by his writing samples: profiles and essays that pulled you in with vivid, descriptive language. His writing style stood out, balancing the narrator’s voice with the voices of his subjects, which came alive in all their color and texture. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts and the general chaos of the time meant a piece with Matthew never materialized. Still, I kept his portfolio in mind, confident we’d work together someday.
Fast forward three years, and I found myself on an unplanned trip to Milan for design week. Overwhelmed as a first-time visitor, I was grateful to connect with Matthew, alongside other Milanese creatives from the motherland, architects Jayson Ramirez, Michael Uy, and industrial designer Mirei Monticelli. Among the Filipino creatives who had made Milan their base, Matthew’s thoughtful introductions to the city truly showcased the creativity, innovation, and rich heritage that Milan wears proudly. From student design exhibitions in Brera to haute couture furniture showcases at via della Moscova, and even showing me how to order a proper iced coffee in Italy (a shakerato, of course), Matthew’s presence made the experience richer. Over pizza, I got to know more about the man behind the words: his fascination with tarot cards, his current journey as a design editor for one of the world’s most admired design websites, and how Milan had shaped his career.
What struck me most was how effortlessly he moved between worlds, making connections and carving out a place for himself in a city known for its creativity. The writer whose profiles I admired from afar had become someone Milan embraced—and who, in turn, had embraced Milan. His story, a mix of talent, determination, and adaptability, felt like one that needed to be told. In this full-circle moment, the profile writer has become the subject, and it’s my privilege to step into the role of narrator.
The move
Grazie mille for indulging my request for an interview, Matthew! It was a pleasure seeing Milan through your lens. Let’s start our conversation with the move. Moving to Italy with your family undoubtedly led to significant change. How has living in Milan and, recently, Monza shaped your writing about art, design, and culture?
I wish I could say that a location like Milan or Monza has changed how I write. It’s more about my state of mind and the resources that I use and read. The arts and literature, for example: the exhibitions, the museums, the photography books, the art fairs. Walking around the city with my headphones on and playing folk indie music influences the way I think when I write, so in a way and in this context, the location has helped shape my writing because I think as I walk. I can picture scenes, the words flow, and the structures follow. I consider places and spaces as external influences on my writing.
Has being a Filipino writer in Italy presented you with unique challenges?
When I started writing as a student journalist for a university magazine, I sat down for a roundtable interview with a few of the key people running the department for international students and mobility. There was this man who, in the middle of the recorded interview, briefly mentioned how the world turns. He sounded impressed that, for a Filipino like me, I was able to become a student journalist.
At least in Milan, and based on my experience, some Filipinos—who, I must add, are incredibly hardworking and take pride in what they do most of the time —mainly work as domestic helpers. It occurred to me that this man may have been surprised that I was writing for a magazine rather than cleaning the room we were in.
I may have had, and still have, isolated cases like this, but they’re enough to make me stay in my lane, work on myself and my writing, and put the words out there while holding my head high when I’m asked where I’m from and say I’m from the Philippines.
Indeed! Talent and skill know no address. You previously mentioned that Italy has been more welcoming regarding work experience than the Philippines. Can you share more about that and how it has impacted your career trajectory?
When I mentioned this, I was coming from someone who attempted to apply for a job in the Philippines but didn’t do so. What I know, which may be outdated, is that there might be a list of requirements needed before I can get into the publishing industry in the Philippines. It may include having a specific bachelor’s degree, a couple of/some years of experience, internships, and the like. I still need to verify it.
In Italy, I studied International Relations for my bachelor’s degree. While doing so, I wrote for different print and digital magazines and worked as an English tutor. By the time I landed a job as an editor and journalist, I had already accumulated several published pieces in different magazines. During my job interview and email, I pitched my portfolio instead of my CV and study and work background. My then Editor-in-Chief seemed more interested in that, so we dived into it. The next thing I knew, I was called into the office to start writing.
Career
Looking back at your career thus far, is there a moment that stands out as fulfilling or proud?
I think it would be becoming a student journalist and one of the founding members of the first English-language magazine at the university where I studied in Milan. It took some time. I remember contacting the coordinator of the blog posts on the university’s site and asking them if I could write for them. I didn’t receive a reply, so I tried again after a few months. I got a maternity leave reply this time, but that didn’t last long because she sent another response saying she would connect me to the head of the international team. That head reached out to me.
She said she just left her meeting, and they talked about starting a journal or something similar, focusing on international students and the environment, so my email came in at the right time. We scheduled a talk in the office, and I was asked to write a trial article about an alumnus. The week after that, I signed a contract and started working. This moment was fulfilling for me in many ways, but mainly because it kicked off my writing career in Milan. I had some of my best times with this team and feel nostalgic whenever I walk down this memory lane.
You love writing profiles more than anything! Which profiles or personalities have stuck with you the most, and why do they hold such a special place for you?
I wrote a profile on Cowboy Frank. Before the interview, he mentioned in our email thread that he’s had AIDS since 1991 and that his immune system has never fully recovered. So, it takes him almost a month to get over it when he catches a cold, as he did during our call. During our conversation, he talked about secretly collecting gay porn magazines since the 1970s, which was illegal at the time. He met his husband, Tom, during this period; Tom was also a collector of gay magazines, and together, more so Tom, they expanded their collection. When Tom passed away in 2018, Cowboy Frank thought of a way to honor his late husband. He scanned pages of the magazines they had collected together, published them online, and made them free for public viewing. It’s his way of educating the current queer and gay communities about the past because these porn magazines also contain write-ups about the social climate of the time, as well as information on kinks, sex positions, and making DIY toys.
Cowboy Frank then talked about his experiences as a gay cowboy in an often male-dominated lifestyle, his coming out, the missed sexual encounters at leather bars, the legalization of gay marriage in the US, Tom proposing to him (though he had also been thinking of doing it), the openness of people in the gay rodeo community, and more. I think it was supposed to be a 30-minute interview, but I’m glad it lasted a bit over an hour. I was mostly listening, which might be a first for me because Cowboy Frank knew his story and how to tell it. I was privileged enough to sit there and be allowed inside his life.
There was a point where the tone of the conversation became somber, especially when speaking about his late husband and his current health situation, but he came through with hope and lots of it. I think at some point, he mentioned that he didn’t even know if he would be able to read the piece by the time it got published. I don’t know if he ever did, and I hope my editor sent him the final piece.
Writing profiles is a two-way exchange between the profiler and the profiled. While the profiler gets their stories told, what do you want to get most out of the exchange?
It’s the inspired feeling that I always get and this sensation that I’m privileged enough to have a moment of their time to speak to them about their life and work. It always feels like we’re sharing secrets I’m allowed to share with the public after, refined and factual at the same time. It’s similar to piecing together a vision board but in words. I feel reinvigorated whenever I end the interview because my sense of purpose is rekindled twice or even more. I think I focus more on the emotions I feel and receive when I have interviews, how I work them out, and how they work for me.
Beyond profiles, what other stories are you itching to write in the future?
I think right now, I’m content with writing profiles. I consider it an ‘iceberg’. There’s so much depth that has yet to be explored, even after writing or publishing the story. It feels endless, and I like that feeling. I don’t wrestle with it so much, but there have been rare times when I tried to extend the original piece or write an alternate version of it from a different angle.
On writing
Matthew, you have a fascinating mix of interests, from tarot to tech. How do you weave these into your professional life?
One of my writing rituals is to find a space. If I can’t find one, I make one. To make one, I draw from several influences because this space lives in my head, within rather than externally. Interpreting tarot cards, reading art books, dissecting lyrics, understanding how a double-screened laptop works, how flying cars function, turning off my Mac’s True Tone feature because a Reddit user says it can help me solve my sudden changes in my screen’s colors, how capybara walks in water, and so on.
The moment I visit or create one of these spaces, the surroundings begin to unfold, and the emotions start pouring until I feel like I can describe what I see and have the words I need to piece my words together and fill in the world-building blanks. I get back to what I’m doing and have enough confidence to be alert and assertive enough to write and finish writing.
Let us in on how you scout, select, and craft the compelling stories you write. It must be quite easy in a sensorial city such as Milan!
Walking around helps. Sometimes, I have a place in mind that I want to pop by, and along the way, I find ateliers and local shops that I’ve never seen before, even neighborhoods I haven’t visited yet. As I look around, I wonder what kind of angle I would approach this from if this were a story. This can be a starting point for a pitch.
If not that, I socialize. I talk to lots of people and try to ask them as many questions as possible because I never know what can come up during these conversations that I might be able to pitch in the future. Other times, I wonder more about what I do, trying to scratch the surface so I can dig a deeper hole. It happened with one of my pitches to a mindfulness magazine.
I came across binaural beats, which are frequency-based sounds that can help relieve anxiety or help with the creative state. I started listening to them, but at one point, I was curious whether or not they were effective or just placebo effects. I had a list of questions about this curiosity. Then I pitched it to the magazine. They commissioned me to write a piece where I got to interview a neuroscience professor and researcher. I managed to answer my questions (to sum it up, if you feel that it’s effective for you, then it probably is) and did so for a print magazine.
We both know how deadlines can be brutal. How do you manage the pressure while keeping your work top-notch, especially as you currently work for one of the world’s most visited design websites?
I’ve heard from a podcast episode about writing fiction that writing is a muscle that needs to be exercised. The more I write, the more I become aware of the flow, structure, style, and tone. The pace is fast in the design magazine I work for, but I’d like to believe my previous background in print and creative writing allows me to figure out how to approach an article and do it as well as possible. Since it’s a digital magazine, I can edit and tweak after publishing too, and this is necessary, especially for stories that need to be updated. I feel the pressure, but because I’m able to pinpoint what readers may want or need to know about the piece, I’m able to focus more on that structure and lessen the pressure.
Let’s circle back to your background in international relations and global affairs, which I think is unique to a writer. How does it shape your writing and the story subjects you choose?
I studied International Relations and Global Affairs out of necessity and curiosity. When I moved here, the university offering the course was the only one still accepting applicants, so I jumped at the chance. I was also fascinated by legal and political theories and curious about how different facets of law work. I feel like my time there sharpened my thinking. I treated the readings as some kind of brain exercise and puzzle games. It may be given that they weren’t as creative as fiction books, but in a way, they did help me train my ‘straightforward’ writing: this happened, that happened, and nothing else. This helps me more with tell-it-as-it-is writing.
A related question: having worked in Filipino and Italian publications, what are the differences in their editorial styles and standards?
I haven’t worked extensively with both types of publications, but one thing that I’ve noticed is that Filipino publications lean more on narratives and descriptions, while Italian publications can be more ‘direct’ and active. The former brings the readers onto a visual journey and can make them relate more to the subject, and the latter tells them what they need to know sans additives. I think the former works when we’re enjoying our time off, while the latter is ideal for when we need to get to where we need to be but still need to catch up on the recent events.
What would you consider the hardest type of story to write? What sort of stories do you find a piece of cake to write?
The investigative feature is definitely one of the toughest stories to write, especially under deadlines. It requires lots of research and fact-checking, and sometimes, a flood of information comes in, and it can be quite challenging to know what I need and feel like I need. Sometimes, I take some time off to understand what I should put in that can help my angle. Also, the angle of the story is essential. Without knowing what I want to tell and why, I can get confused about the direction of my writing, hence affecting the way I choose the pieces of information.
Profile features, especially with personal interviews rather than based on provided information, can be quite fun and ‘easy’ to write. I say this because I often already picture how my piece is going to be during conversations. I also focus more on personal and physical experiences because I think these narratives can move the story a lot. I see them as paddleboats because they can steer the direction of the piece and make the readers visualize and think compared to when I write ‘abstract’ thinking (which may lean towards critique writing).
You’ve been a writer for a while; what for you makes a good writer? What’s a non-negotiable trait, or perhaps the quality of writing, that separates great writers from good ones?
I admire writers who make their subjects relatable and so known in their stories that I can remember who they are, what they do, and how they live their lives. My writing style has changed so much over the years. I loved bathing my articles with adjectives, metaphors, and idioms until some months ago when I read Ann Patchett’s These Precious Days. She’s now a favorite author, and this book is at the top of my to-re-read list. It helped me explore my writing, and I’ve grown fond of telling stories as they are: fewer adjectives and more narratives.
I think the aspect of writing that I consider wonderful these days is just that, the ability to use the language in a manner that readers can immediately understand what is being written about. I still enjoy reading adjectives, metaphors, and idioms, but I use them less in my writing nowadays. When I read others’ works, I tend to consider them ‘great writers’ when I recall the story and retell it to others with the details intact. I feel their impact when I remember the flow of their story and how well they used words to curate seamless narratives.
Trends and tech
AI is the day’s buzzword and has shaken things up in design and tech. What are your thoughts on its impact as a design technology editor, and how do you approach writing about it?
I’m not yet a specialist journalist or reporter in AI, but an editor, so when I write about AI in design and tech, I mostly focus on the features of the story that readers need to know so they’re informed. I avoid instilling my own opinions or making adjectival reports about it. It depends on the magazine I write for, and with the current one, we focus more on the design aspects, so reporting facts without making claims is standard.
Many design and tech updates and products are heading toward using more advanced AI, which may be a divided territory. Some agree with it, some don’t, but everyone feels its impact. Users often use it every day without being aware since they’re on apps now. I think as soon as we get assertive enough about how we use it and how it uses us, we can identify AI’s pros and cons and, with the latter, how we can avoid them.
With AI and tech rapidly changing the media landscape, where do you see the role of journalists such as ourselves heading?
Journalists have been trained to learn and know how to report facts, and I hope they, we, even, continue to do so. Often, we’re afforded inside AI and tech interviews and insights that our readers don’t get, so it’s a huge responsibility to use the information given to us and help the readers be informed. These days, I think journalists are confronting the challenges of alternative media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, where users can chime into the conversation with what they know and try to sway the public’s opinion. It can be an information struggle to know what’s true or misinformation, and part of the journalists’ role is to help fact-check what is being spread out rather than aggravate the reports by siding with them.
Inspirations and aspirations
A de rigueur question here at Kanto. What inspires you and helps you find fresh perspectives, especially in a fast-moving field such as design media?
I enjoy reading profiles from different magazines, both established and emerging. I’m able to find sources of inspiration from their writings, especially the way they use words. Often, I read lyrics when I listen to songs. When a stanza or phrase strikes me, I note it down and dive into that hole, analyzing it and creating webs of story possibilities. I also enjoy talking with people and asking them questions. Maybe what they say doesn’t weigh so much, but I find myself analyzing what and how they say it and thinking of ways that I can benefit from them, be it inspiration or fresh perspectives.
Can you share a story where your cultural background gave you a unique insight or angle that others might have missed?
One profile I can think of is on Marie Tomanova. In this piece, the NYC-based photographer shared her story about being an immigrant in the US, having had to stay there for a decade, and not returning home to her home country because she had been waiting for her green card. By the time she came home to visit, a lot of things had happened, including not being able to see her grandmother when she passed away and seeing her relatives all grown up.
I remember writing this piece in one sitting. The words flowed, and I could still sense the buzz I felt when I finished writing, the feeling of tiny pricks around my head. As an immigrant myself in Italy, I’d like to believe that I felt how Marie felt, having the conundrum of flying back to my home country and risking the residency or staying and keeping in touch with the family left behind digitally. I was writing Marie’s story, yet pieces of my own experiences funneled through. That may be why this is one of my most straightforward profiles.
As you look to the future, what story do you dream of telling that you believe only you can write, or right best. Why is this story important to you?
Going back to my International Relations study background, I dream of interviewing and writing the profiles of prisoners who faced wrongful convictions or have been mistakenly released. It’s a different tide of water I’ll be wading through, but there’s a lot to unpack in their narratives. I see it as investigative journalism. I shouldn’t just interview them. I also need to fact-check all the files and reports as well as interview people related to their cases, including their families. I don’t think I’ve ever done something like this before, so I look forward to trying it. On a writing level, this can shape my writing skills in vast ways, including my investigative approaches and research styles. On a personal level, I feel that I’ll gain a depth of emotional understanding, maybe even resonance, with the person. Maybe along the way, hidden parts of my own identity and understanding might unfold. •
Maraming salamat sa oras, Matthew!
