Further Finnish stamp designs due for release this May feature Moomin toys, summertime fun and floral splendor.
On Friday, May 8, Posti will release four new stamp publications, with a total of ten new Finnish stamp designs. The designs feature a gold swan, old Moomin toys, summer memories and red flowers.
High-profile Finnish illustrator and designer Klaus Haapaniemi will unveil his first foray into stamp design in May, with the release of his Gold swan. The stamp's ornate decorations, rendered in gold foil, are inspired by eastern Finnish and Slavic cultural traditions. Similar patterns can be found in Haapaniemi's Taika and Satumetsä designs for Finnish homeware giant Iittala.
Haapaniemi's bird and animal figures were also seen on stage earlier this year in the Finnish National Opera's production Ovela kettu (Sly fox), with his stage and costume design attracting huge plaudits. London-based Klaus Haapaniemi is considered one of the most significant illustrators and designers of the younger generation. His work with a number of high profile, international brands includes accessories, fashion, prints and advertising campaigns. At the moment, Haapaniemi is particularly in demand in Japan.
The EUROPA stamps released by European postal operators in 2015 take their theme from old toys. The two Finnish EUROPA stamp designs feature toys based on Tove Jansson's Moomin figures from the late 1950s. The two stamps by experienced stamp designer Klaus Welp showcase Hemulen's aunt, Moomintroll, Fillyjonk, Sniff, Stinky and Moominpappa. The Moomins also turn up in the Priority labels provided with the stamps.
The toys depicted on the stamps date back to the late 1950s and are the work of Atelier Fauni. Atelier Fauni was the first company to start the commercial production of Moomin toys. In its heyday it employed more than 150 people. Today, these handmade Moomin figures are highly desirable collectors' items that change hands for significant amounts of money. The Moomins' popularity shows no signs of abating, with new Moomin themed toys attracting new friends the world over, year after year.
This year's Finnish summer stamps feature a pared down graphic design aesthetic. Pietari Posti's Summer feeling sheet comprises five funny and whimsical stamp designs of different sizes depicting traditional Finnish summer highlights, such as rowing, swimming in a lake, bike trips, ice cream and strawberries.
Pietari Posti, a Barcelona resident, has worked with several international publications, such as The New York Times and Wired, as well as high profile companies like American Express and Omega, among others. Posti also designed The spring of life stamps published in January 2011.
Artist Minna Immonen has designed two fuchsia-hued floral 2nd class stamps that are ideally suited for party invitations and other happy occasions. The Floral beauty sheet is handily folded and shows the rugosa rose, a familiar sight along Finnish roadsides and gardens, as well as the more sophisticated cultivated orchid.
Flowers are a topic Immonen particularly enjoys. "I create around 300 postcard designs every year and about half of them depict flowers," she explains. The 2009 Christmas stamps and the 2001 Valentine's Day stamp are also created by Immonen. In addition to stamps and postcards, her work also includes calendars, posters and a range of products for Finnish design company Arabia.
All stamps available for sale are featured in Posti’s online shop.
