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Miniaturized Matchstick Art

Hiromi Hirasaka's Works Turn Matchsticks into Miniature Portraits

— July 31, 2013 — Art & Design
Japanese artist Hiromi Hirasaka has found a way to create adorable miniature portraits using matchsticks.

The artist saw matchstick heads as potential canvases, and began to draw Kokeshi-style faces on each stick. The resulting matchsticks look like bizarre families, forced together into a little box. One particularly funny and clever collection shows the matchsticks with shocked and fearful expressions on their otherwise blank faces. Attached to their heads are orange tendrils of flame, revealing the reason for their shocked faces.

Another quirky collection of matchsticks is truly a little family. Each one has a doleful expression on its face, paired with an awkward bowl cut haircut. This group of matchstick people looks almost like a miniaturized Addams Family, with their pale faces, dark hair and saddened expressions.

With these matchstick portraits, Hirasaka has proven that no canvas is too small to display art.
Trend Themes
1. Miniature Art - Opportunities for artists to explore alternative and unconventional mediums to showcase their creativity and produce one-of-a-kind pieces of art with unique attributes and added value.
2. Micro-scale Portraiture - Innovative ways to produce detailed and intricate portraits on small surfaces, opening up possibilities for personalized gifts and souvenirs.
3. Novelty Collectibles - Innovation opportunities for companies to manufacture a range of quirky and personalized products that cater to niche markets and appeal to collectors and art enthusiasts alike.
Industry Implications
1. Art - Artists can explore the potential of unconventional and overlooked mediums to create new forms of art and differentiate themselves in the competitive art industry.
2. Gifts and Souvenirs - Manufacturing and retail businesses can offer a range of unique and creative products that cater to niche markets and can be personalized, appealing to consumers looking for special and meaningful gifts or souvenirs.
3. Collectibles - Companies can tap into the growing trend and popularity of novelty collectibles, producing limited-run and bespoke items that generate hype and appeal to collectors and hobbyists looking for unique and one-of-a-kind items.
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