Written by Gabriel Rein. Photos Courtesy of Seth Bilkis.
If you’ve spent any time in Savannah, you’ve likely seen striking artwork of matchbook collages on dorm room walls, in small businesses and even tucked under the arms of pleased customers as they stroll through the Forsyth Farmers Market. These collages are created by Interior Design alumnus Seth Bilkis. Each piece presents a unique theme. Whether it’s the moody sepia-tinted tones of the Cowboy collage, the naturalistic greens of the Outdoor collage or the nostalgia evoking history of the multiple New York City collages, Bilkis uses the artistic medium of matchbooks and transforms it into statements of cultural identity.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Bilkis to discuss the ways in which his artwork resonates with people, how he got started and his advice for SCAD students.
“It was born out of the need to feel creative,” said Bilkis. The original idea to create matchbook collage art came from his Aunt Sue who lives in New York City. “She’s had a matchbook collection in a giant bowl on her shelf since I was little, and I always thought it was so cool. One day I wanted to be like my cool Aunt Sue and own a giant bowl of matches.” Years later, Bilkis saw a piece of matchbook art on TikTok, and he knew that he could make that but even better.
Today, Bilkis utilizes the lessons he learned in SCAD’s Interior Design program to inform his art. From the way the physical dimensions of the matchbooks create negative space, to the placement of complementary and analogous colors, to the individual images of the matchbooks and how they build into an overall theme. These elements evolve every one of Bilkis’s pieces into something greater than the sum of its parts. “Each matchbox is a physical, tangible representation of someone’s history, their own life and their travels,” said Bilkis.
When asked if he had any advice for SCAD students, Bilkis said, “Know your worth, and know your value.” He explained how he regularly sees up-and-coming artists underselling themselves and not seeing adequate financial returns. “People aren’t just paying for the piece of art you make. They’re paying for all the time you spent in elementary, middle, high school, your college education, all the classes all the projects, all the homework that gets you to the point where you are right now in this world as an artist.”
Bilkis’s artwork can be purchased at matchbox912.com, The Paris Market on Broughton Street, East and Up Vintage on East Liberty Street, Candlefish in Charleston, South Carolina and every Saturday at the Forsyth Park Farmer’s Market. You can support him by following his Instagram @matchbox912.
