WorkArt & Culture

Limited-edition series of handmade matchboxes inspired by 1920s Japanese art

Steve Tracy is the founder of Brooklyn-based Keap Candles. He has recently joined forces with Object_ify139, an 'art object' shop located on New York's Lower East Side that supports local emerging artists, to pay homage to Japanese matchbox art from the first half of the 20th Century.

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Five silk-screened matchboxes with Japanese-inspired designs in yellow, white, coral, blue and teal, displayed on a bright blue background

The collaboration features a set of five silk-screened and hand-assembled three-inch matchboxes, in keeping with Object_ify’s tradition for creating 'sets'.

The set – part art object, part print series, is composed of five different designs that pay homage to New York City and Keap’s fragrances. Drawing from Japanese matchbox art, the simple and clean design is brought to life by the crisp and vibrant quality obtained through the silkscreening process.

All designs are screen-printed and assembled in New York, featuring artwork by Keap’s art director, Dan Abary, and inspired by Japanese matchbox art from the 1920s to 1940s. For more information visit www.keapbk.com / www.objectify139.com.

Blue and white silk-screened matchbox featuring a stylised wave design inspired by 1920s Japanese art, with "IT IS USEFUL" text on the spine
Green silk-screened matchbox with pink lid featuring botanical leaf illustrations, text reading "TO FIRST" on spine against green background
Orange silk-screened matchbox with cream wooden top featuring a green feather design inspired by 1920s Japanese art
Red silk-screened matchbox with 1920s Japanese-inspired artwork featuring cream and pink tones, displayed against a pink background
White matchbox with "The Fire" printed on spine and blue geometric patterned top, part of Keap Candles and Object_ify139's Japanese-inspired limited-edition set
Five stacked silk-screened matchboxes in blue, green, yellow, red and grey with text referencing Keap Candles fragrances and 1920s Japanese art inspiration
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