Striking a chord: B'luru designer duo reinvents Indian matchbox art

A chubby cherub flies around with sparklers in his hands as Baby Youre My Firework in retro typography floats above, one of Raja Ravi Vermas muses holds a sliced watermelon declaring Make Art Not War, and a saree clad woman confidently rides a motorbike as the accompanying text reads Bullet Rani. These are all miniature pieces of art painted in bold colours and drawn in a style thats familiar. While todays matchboxes may stick to a few standard designs with the brand prominently displayed, a few decades ago, matchboxes had a huge range of art and messaging adorning them. Designers Kevin Thomas and Sonal Nagwani are trying to revive this art form through their quirky and collectible matchboxes. We realised matchbox art was fading compared to its heyday in the 1900s when people used to collect and make them for all kinds of reasons the alphabet ones (with A for Apple, B for Ball, etc) were used to teach children, tuberculosis awareness was spread through them, and religious drawings were kept in pooja rooms at home. They were also used as advertising for soaps, oils, beedis, even handloom promotions, explains Thomas, adding that as a utility item, they reached every home, democratising art. Kevin Thomas and Sonal Nagwani Maachis, the project Thomas and Nagwani started after quitting their startup jobs, seeks not only to preserve this art form but revitalise it by making it relevant to todays youngsters. We wanted to bring in nostalgia and turn their attention to something meaningful, says Thomas. He explains their process, saying, We go through the archives of collectors that we know and find designs that can connect with something in the present. For example, the swathantra matchbox is a vintage one about the freedom movement. We reinvented that design to Happy Pride for Pride Month. We also try to find things that have local relevance like the Anti Nazar matchbox based on the belief in the evil eye. Their designs feature a mix of phrases from pop-culture (Baby Youre My Firework and Patakha Guddi referencing songs, one about making a wish at 11:11, etc), and more socially aware designs like one based on the story of Nangeli, a woman from Kerala who cut off her breasts to oppose the tax levied on lower caste women covering their breasts. We try to keep a balance of fun designs, forgotten history, and political ones. We dont want a harsh tone but play with satire. Thats how the factory-made matchboxes of the past were too; you would see a lot of funny, nationalism-driven or protest-oriented imagery along with artistic designs, he notes. The boxes are not made of cardboard but of wood, intended as reusable collectibles. Having started the project last year, Thomas and Nagwani had a low-key presence until a reel gained attention on Instagram, now the video has over one million views and the account has nearly 55,000 followers. We were doubtful about whether people would connect with our art. But when it [the video] started getting attention, we gained a community that could support us. It opened many doors for collaborations. There are many matchbox collectors with huge collections of 20,000 to 50,000 matchboxes, but they are mostly on Facebook groups and arent able to go beyond that circle. We wanted to open that world up, says Thomas. Since then, theyve collaborated with indie artistes like Peter Cat Recording Co. for matchboxes based on them and local visual artists. Weve also expanded into enamel hand-painted artwork collaborating with Surabhi, an artist from Kannur. Enamel painting itself is a fading art form, so it felt meaningful to revive and support it alongside matchbox art, adds Thomas.