A Finnish stamp design won international acclaim at the European Design Awards festival on June 8. 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, designed by Timo Berry, are printed using heat reactive ink that will change color 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 concretize the consequences of climate change on postage stamps.
Realism based on facts
“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,” Timo Berry says.
“Curbing climate change is one of the greatest global challenges of our time. We wanted to highlight this important social issue in our stamps,” explains Design Manager Tommi Kantola at Posti.
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, 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 rejoices.
Image material for the media: http://digilibrary.posti.com/l/2FzGzTZKBC5q
Further information:
https://europeandesign.org/submissions/climate-change-stamps/
View all the stamps available for sale in Posti’s online shop here:
European Design Awards are annual awards presented to European designers in the field of communication design. The competition, established in 2007, is organized annually by 15 prestigious European design magazines. The jury consists of a panel of journalists and design critics from design magazines. Finnish design expertise in the panel is represented by Grafia magazine.
