Christmas stamps to combine the old and the new
In September–November, Posti will issue eight new stamp publications with a total of 26 different stamp designs. September stamps will be issued on September 8. Christmas stamps will be available from November 3.
Unique glass sculptures also shine in stamps
Posti gave its 2021 art award to glass artist Alma Jantunen, whose colorful and unique glass art will shine in two stamp designs. Jantunen creates glass sculptures that are inspired by living beings and plants.
With the art award, Posti wants to raise the status of stamps and art and increase people’s appreciation of them. The award may be granted to a person or group working in the field of art as a recognition and encouragement of visually interesting expression. The winner can represent visual arts or visual design more broadly, as long as the expression can be recreated in a stamp when it comes to its content or form.
“Alma is a gifted glass artist whose unique and colorful works add a touch of luxury to everyday life, now also in the form of stamps,” says Design Manager Tommi Kantola, who is in charge of stamp production at Posti.
This is the fifth time Posti’s art award has been presented. In 2017, the art award went to sculptor Jasmin Anoschkin, in 2018 to graffiti artist EGS, in 2019 to fashion designer Mert Otsamo and in 2020 to visual artist Janne Laine.
Posti’s Art Award 2021 will be issued as a 10-stamp sheet containing two different domestic non-value indicator stamp designs.
The glimmer of fall brings out the colors of nature
The Glimmer of Fall stamps, which are a good fit for the season, feature beautiful rural and forest landscapes in the fall. The photographs taken by Jukka Risikko all show light in the early morning or late in the evening, which brings out the colors of nature beautifully.
Jukka Risikko actively posts his nature photographs on social media, where they have drawn attention from around the world. “Right now, my photography is followed by over 190,000 people on Instagram and Facebook. My Instagram followers are a more international group, whereas most of my followers on Facebook are from Finland.”
Risikko takes photos in Southern Ostrobothnia, mostly in the countryside and forests of his hometown Lapua. “I hope that, through my photos, people’s appreciation for the environment and the nature near their home could increase. Hopefully my photos will also be able to convey the calming effect of nature.”
The Glimmer of Fall miniature sheet contains five different domestic non-value indicator stamp designs.
Everyday green tips for all of us
In September, Posti will also issue stamps that offer six simple tips for taking the environment into account in our everyday lives. The tips have to do with plant-based eating, exercise, heating one’s home, recycling, water use and public transport.
The stamps, which look like post-it notes, were designed by Werklig’s Creative Director Anssi Kähärä, who created the themed texts on the stamps together with Sari Laine, an expert on Sitra’s Sustainable Everyday Life team.
Sustainability and environmental matters are also key in Posti’s operations. “At Posti, we want to help people and companies make sustainable choices while making sure that we do things right. To give an example, our climate efforts include an ambitious target of reducing our own emissions to zero by 2030,” says Noomi Jägerhorn, Posti’s Head of Sustainability.
The Everyday green acts stamp booklet contains six different domestic non-value indicator stamp designs.
Classic Finnish paintings featured on a roll of stamps
In September, Posti will also issue a roll of stamps presenting eight classics of Finnish art from the period between 1884 and 1930. The stamps will feature Echo (1891) by Ellen Thesleff, Boys Playing on the Shore (1884) by Albert Edelfelt, Skaters near the Shore of Kalela (1896) by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, The Convalescent (1888) by Helene Schjerfbeck, Landscape from Koli (1930) by Eero Järnefelt, Winter Fishing (1900) by Juho Rissanen, Sheep Girl (1913) by Hugo Simberg and The Fighting Capercaillies (1886) by Ferdinand von Wright.
Famous works that are familiar to nearly all of us already from the pages of school books were sought for the stamps. “I wanted to keep the appearance of the stamps timeless and simple so that the paintings would be properly highlighted. Hopefully the roll of stamps will allow the works to reach a wide audience that loves Finnish art,” says Ilkka Kärkkäinen, who did the graphic design of the stamps.
Finnish art classics will be issued as a 100-stamp roll that includes eight different domestic non-value indicator stamp designs.
Something old and something new in this year’s Christmas stamps
This year’s Christmas stamp will feature more modern digital line art as well as traditional Christmas imagery. The Christmas stamps designed by Klaus Welp portray the Eurasian bullfinch, a spruce and the northern lights.
The Eurasian bullfinch non-value indicator stamp for Christmas greetings will be issued as a 20-stamp sheet. The Spruce domestic non-value indicator stamp and the Northern Lights international non-value indicator stamp will both be issued as a 10-stamp sheet.
In November, domestic non-value indicator stamps designed by Matti Pikkujämsä will also become available. These stamps are suitable for winter greetings. The two different First Snow stamp designs will be issued as a 10-stamp sheet.
Posti reserves the right to make changes.
All stamps for sale are featured in Posti’s online shop at www.posti.fi/ostoksille
