Sonal Nagwani is the founder and designer behind Maachis, an independent art and design collective based in Bangalore. Maachis centres on handcrafted wooden matchboxes that revive and reinterpret historic Indian matchbox art. Each piece is thoughtfully designed, produced in small batches, and treated as both a functional object and a collectible artwork.
Her journey with Maachis grew from a fascination with everyday Indian visuals and the overlooked power of small objects as cultural storytellers. Drawing from archival matchbox labels, street signage, truck art, and popular imagery, her work explores memory, politics, humour, and identity. Matchbox art remains central to the practice because of its accessibility and history as a mass medium that once carried bold ideas into daily life, and connects art with everyday living.
