Finnish postal stamp wins silver

A Finnish stamp design won international acclaim at the European Design Awards festival on June 8, said a press release of the postal and logistic services operator Posti on Thursday.

The Climate Change stamp sheet designed by Timo Berry won a silver award in the printed miscellaneous category.

The three stamps in the Climate Change stamp sheet published in September 2018 depict the effects of climate change that a northern country such as Finland can expect in the future, if we allow the climate to continue getting warmer at the current rate.

The stamps are printed using heat reactive ink that will change colour when rubbed with a finger. So, by the mere touch of a finger you will be able to see what we can expect in Finland if the constant warming of the climate is not brought under control.

The designer was praised for his innovative way to concretise the consequences of climate change on postage stamps.

"What matters most in art is what you want to tell people. The Climate Change stamps show in a tangible way what the reality is now and what it could become if the climate crisis escalates. This design project was inspired by fact-based realism and gravity and urgency of the situation. It is an important step in the right direction that many countries have started to take climate change seriously after the latest IPCC report," said Timo Berry.

"Curbing climate change is one of the greatest global challenges of our time. We wanted to highlight this important social issue in our stamps," said Posti Design Manager Tommi Kantola.

The success at the European Design Awards continues the triumph of Finnish stamps around the world. "Lately, Finnish stamps have won several first prizes, such as the Spanish Nexofil Award as the Best Stamp in the World, in the Italian Asiago competition, often referred to as ‘the Oscars of philately’, and the Belgian Europa stamps competition. Each win has been a delightful surprise," Kantola added.