On 9 September, Posti will publish three new stamp publications, with a total of 10 different stamps. "The illustrations of the Nordic Birds stamps reflect the spirit of Finnish golden-age painting. The popular stamp series featuring national landscapes is progressing to its final part. The stamp series featuring Finnish customs will continue with a second part," says Tommi Kantola, who is responsible for the selection of the artists and for providing guidance on the artistic work for the stamps at Posti.
Nordic birds convey cultural heritage
The stamps released in September will feature two large Nordic birds: the crane and the swan. The stamps designed by Reetta Ranta and Riikka Haro reflect the spirit of the golden age of Finnish painting. The designers have a strong background in digital media, and they have also used artificial intelligence as a creative tool in the design of the works that serve as the basis for stamps.
“Our goal is to make Finnish mythology and natural wisdom easily accessible and to bring ancient stories to life for the people of today. As for the visual look, we have sought influences from Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s works, Kalevala and the aesthetics of Japanese wood drawings,” says Reetta Ranta.
As birds, the crane and the swan have a firm place in Finnish folklore. “The crane was considered the king of birds, whose spring migration was highly anticipated. The swan, on the other hand, was associated with purity, beauty and the symbolism of life and death,” says Ranta.
Nordic Birds will be a 10-stamp sheet containing two different domestic no-value indicator stamps.
National landscapes arouse strong emotions
The popular series of roll of stamps featuring national landscapes is progressing to its fourth part. The series has now presented all 27 Finnish national landscapes. The new stamps designed by Stiina Hovi will feature the cultural landscapes of Rautavesi, the Pohja ironworks, the Heinävesi lake route, the Kvarken Archipelago, the Oulankajoki River, and Sund in Åland.
“The National Landscapes stamp series comes full circle in its fourth part, as we have toured all our magnificent landscapes. Some of our national landscapes are purely nature sites, while others are collaboration between nature and man. It’s been a great pleasure to be able to design these stamps, as all the landscapes evoke emotions and thoughts. Your soul knows them in some way, even if you haven’t visited them yourself. This tells us a lot about the significance of the landscapes,” says Stiina Hovi.
National Landscapes IV will be issued as a 100-stamp roll that contains six different domestic no-value indicator stamp designs.
Overly polite at the coffee table and celebration on the market square
Last autumn, Posti issued two stamps showcasing Finnish national customs. Two new stamps designed by Miika Saksi will now be issued with the same theme. The theme of the first stamp is about being overly polite at the coffee table, where guests are invited to help themselves, but no one dares to go first. The second stamp depicts spontaneous meetings on the market square, which is how the Finnish hockey team’s gold medal was last celebrated around different parts of Finland.
Miika Saksi used the same collage-like mixed technique and colourful style as before. “Presenting the customs in stamp size and without texts proved challenging once again.
The stamp about being overly polite at the coffee table in particular required a lot of consideration. I experimented with hundreds of different arrangements, character positions, expressions and crops to illustrate the ideas. AI-based tools were used in the drafting of individual elements,” says Saksi.
Finnish Customs II will be a 10-stamp sheet containing two different domestic no-value indicator stamps.
First-day event at Helsinki Main Post Office on 9 September, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The first-day event for the September stamps will be held at the Helsinki Main Post Office (Elielinaukio 2 F, 00100 Helsinki) on Wednesday, 9 September, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
New stamps, first day covers and other stamp products will be sold at the event, and visitors can get first-day postmarks on their items. The stamp artists will be present to sign their works from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Welcome!
Images of the new stamps: https://digilibrary.emmi.fi/l/WTvGnvdkHfSD
All stamps available for sale are featured in Posti’s online shop: https://shop.posti.fi/en