Maachis Art strikes a spark from the forgotten matchbox, turning them into lasting stories.
1. Tell us a little about yourself—who you are, what you do, and how art became a part of your journey.
We’re Kevin and Sonal, both of us are designers. But art was never just a profession for us - it’s really how we tell our stories and stay rooted. It’s also been our way of self-expression to discuss identity, incorporate our politics, and try to make an impact in whatever small way we can. So, it’s not as if there was one moment when it “became” part of our journey; it’s just the language we’ve always used to navigate life.
2. Art isn’t just something we see—it’s something we live with. How does art seep into your daily life? And what does art mean to you?
Honestly, art is just a part of our everyday life. It’s not something separate where you sit down and do it. It comes in the way you look at a street or a random signage, or the back of an auto or truck or some random beedi cover on the street. Growing up in India, you’re surrounded by visuals all the time, like matchboxes, cinema posters, calendars, and truck art and whatnot. You don’t even think of it as “art” when you’re a kid, but it stays with you. Later, when you look back, you realise how much those everyday things shaped the way you see.
For us, art seeps in through those little observations. It’s everywhere in the routine, in memory, in culture. Once you start noticing it, you realise it’s not just in galleries or on canvases, it’s in everything. And I think that’s what art means to us, the way of seeing the world that never really disappoints you.
3. Why do you think handcrafted art matters today more than ever?
Everything around us today feels mass-produced and disposable, and we didn’t want Maachis to add to that. It was about moving away from things that are easily discarded. Handcrafted work feels different when it carries meaning due to the time, thought, and detailing that go into it. That’s what makes it special. For us, creating in that way was important because it’s not just about the object; it’s about giving people something they’ll actually want to hold on to and keep as a keepsake.
4. What makes an artist an artist? (like who can call themselves an artist/what counts as being an artist)
Anyone who notices, expresses, and creates in their own way can call themselves an artist. If you’re making someone reflect or react, whether it’s through visuals, words, or even through the things you say, you’re an artist. It’s not about having a degree or being in a gallery. It’s about how you see things, how you translate that into something others can feel. An artist is just someone who’s honest with their expression. It can be through painting, music, craft, or even the way you set up your home. As long as it’s coming from observation and feeling, that’s art, and that makes you an artist.
5. What does being a brand that sells art mean to you?
More than calling ourselves a brand, we see Maachis as a creative collective. The idea has always been bigger than just selling. It’s about bringing more designers together and working on this larger revival project. Selling art isn’t only about the product. It’s about making art accessible, not something locked up in galleries, but something people can use, gift, and live with every day. Each piece carries time, detail, and story, and when someone takes it home, they’re also carrying a part of that story forward. It also matters because it supports the artists and craftspeople behind the work. Every sale is a way to keep those skills alive and to give credit where it’s due. And in a world of mass-produced, disposable things, handcrafted art feels even more valuable because it slows you down, it makes you hold on. So more than just selling, it’s really about connecting. Connecting people to culture, to memory, to each other - through something small but meaningful.
6. How long does it usually take to create one matchbox from start to finish?
It really depends on the idea. We usually start by digging into old matchboxes and studying them - how art, politics, and humour once coexisted on these tiny canvases. We strive to understand why certain designs were created, what they meant in their time, and what significance they may hold today. The process is less about rushing to finish and more about making sure what we create now also reflects its own time, just like the old ones did. Initially, most of our references came from online collections, but we realised that was only a fraction of what exists. Now we spend time with phillumenists collections too, which has opened up even more layers of learning before we begin designing.
7. What drew you to the matchbox art? Why matchbox art?
Matchbox art was never just design - it was always a medium of visual storytelling. From mythology and politics to humour and local pride, these tiny labels reflected everyday life in bold, unfiltered ways. Many of those early designs were hand-painted as well, which made them even more raw and personal. We wanted to revive it not just out of nostalgia, but because it still has something to say. In an era when everything feels digital and mass-produced, this kind of raw, rooted design reminds us of our true selves. It’s essential because it preserves memory, celebrates everyday creativity, and gives value back to something we were taught to overlook.
8. How do you see art products being perceived in the Indian market?
It’s definitely changing. For a long time, art in India was viewed as either too elite, often found in galleries, or too ordinary to be considered “art” at all, such as the truck art, matchbox labels, and enamel signage with which we grew up. However, there is now a growing interest in things that feel handmade, rooted, and meaningful. People want products that tell a story, that connect them to culture, not just something mass-produced. It’s still a niche market, but it’s expanding, particularly among younger audiences who value design and collectibility. We see art products slowly becoming less of a “luxury” and more of something people want in their everyday lives.
9. Can you share a little about the history and cultural relevance of matchbox art?
Matchbox art in India really took off in the mid-20th century, but its story actually begins a little earlier in Sweden. The first matchboxes in India were imported from Swedish factories. To make them more familiar to Indian buyers, the labels often featured everyday objects and animals such as elephants, tigers, gods, and rural landscapes. Over time, Indian manufacturers began producing their own labels, and they continued this tradition by creating labels that reflected the everyday life, humour, and spirit of the country.
These were cheap, mass-produced objects, but the labels carried a wide range of imagery, including gods and goddesses, animals, lucky numbers, political symbols, and even film stars. In a way, they became little windows into how India saw itself at the time. They weren’t just decorations, but they reflected pride, aspiration, humour, and sometimes even propaganda. A tiny square of paper could celebrate industry, promote a local hero, or tell a mythological story.
What’s even more beautiful is how people connected to them. Many people kept certain matchbox labels in their homes for luck or devotion. Parents would even use them to teach children, as the labels featured all the animals, birds, and sometimes even the alphabet. So they were educational, spiritual, and artistic all at once.
So, Maachisis is something that makes them so special, as they preserve memories, celebrate everyday creativity, and give value back to something we were taught to overlook.
10. Is there a song that captures the spirit of your work or something you love listening to while creating?
There’s an album by Ilaiyaraaja called Play That Beat Mr. Raja that really captures the spirit of what we do. It seamlessly blends disco, funk, and Indian melodies in a fun and unpredictable way. The music has this confidence and warmth that reminds us a lot of Maachis; it’s playful, bold, and nostalgic, but still feels fresh every time you hear it. That energy connects with how we work and taking something old and giving it a new beat.
11. Your art revives something small and often overlooked. Has working on this changed the way you observe or move through the world?
Definitely. Working on Maachis has made us slow down and notice the smaller things a lot more. Earlier, we might’ve passed a hand-painted sign or an old label without a second thought. Now, we catch ourselves looking at the details, such as the colours, the typography, and even the little quirks that give it meaning.
It’s changed the way we see the world, because things that seem ordinary - a sticker on a truck, a signage of a shop can actually carry memory and a story to tell. Once you start noticing, you realise how much art is woven into daily life, and it really changes your lens.
12. Can you tell us a bit about the history of matchbox art in India? What role did it play culturally or politically in its time?
Matchbox art in India has a really interesting history. In the early and mid-20th century, matchbox labels were these tiny canvases that carried culture and politics into everyday life. You’d find everything on them: gods and goddesses, animals, factories, leaders, national symbols, even funny or random icons. They reflected the mood of the time. Some labels conveyed pride in the industry and progress, while others carried mythological stories, and still others worked almost like propaganda. Others were just playful, with humour or lucky numbers that people connected with. Because matchboxes were everywhere and inexpensive, the imagery reached everyone, from households to street shops. Culturally, they became part of memory and identity. Politically, they demonstrated how design could convey messages subtly into people’s hands. That’s what makes them so powerful to look back on now - they’re like little time capsules of how India saw itself.
13. While researching old matchboxes, was there a particular design, slogan, or visual style that really surprised or moved you?
One design that really stayed with us was a matchbox around the idea of secularism. To see something like that on such an everyday object was surprising, and it felt bold, but also very natural for the time. It’s the kind of design we keep going back to, because it shows how matchboxes weren’t just decoration. They carried ideas that were relevant then and are still just as relevant today.
14. Matchboxes are usually objects we use and throw, and easy to forget. When working with such a “disposable canvas”, how do you ensure your art leaves a lasting impression?
That’s true; matchboxes were always seen as disposable, something you use and then throw away. We wanted to change that. That’s why we work with wooden matchboxes instead of the old paper ones. They’re sturdy, reusable, and useful, but also something you’d want to hold on to. The idea is to make them keepsakes as much as objects of utility. You can light a lamp or a candle with them, but you can also keep them on your desk or shelf as a piece of art. That’s how we hope the impression lasts by making something that feels both familiar and collectable at the same time.
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