I waited to post Finland’s 2021 stamps because I was secretly hoping a few Moomins would appear. So far, not one in site. Guess I’ll have to write a separate article on Finland’s memorable Moomins and be content with the set Posti issued last year. Oh, and if you’ve never encountered Tove Jansson’s magnificent Moomins, this is what they look like:
Stamp collecting needs a patron saint and I think the Hemulens from the Moomin world should be nominated. Hemulens are obsessive stamp collectors who become annoyed when disturbed. Sound familiar? Should we start a petition?
Hemulen: get to know the lovable creatures of Moominvalley
Bless my tail! Whatever next! (Moominpapa in Fin Famiily Moomintroll)
But I digress. Finland offers up a great hunting ground for thematic collectors – especially if they enjoy whimsy. It took me forever to settle down to write this article because of the treasure trove of great sites I found while researching Finnish philately. Over the next few weeks, I’ll chase down more information designers, especially the numerous awards they’ve won.
Discussing a few of Finland’s 2021 stamps
There are a couple of stamps I want to draw your attention to. The first is the 2021 Europa FDC It’s a full colour, dramatic extravaganza. Petteri Mattila managed to incorporate all elements of this year’s theme into one cover.
Europa: Endangered Animals FDC – Petteri Mattila designer
Mattila managed to squeeze all the habitats onto one rectangle without sacrificing details. I’ve seen a lot of First Day Covers, but this one is a real attention grabber.
The second set represents a vastly different design appeal. It’s strength is it’s simplicity and use of white space. The stamps, Glass Art, showcased The Finnish Post Office’s 5th annual Art Prize winner. The competition’s purpose is “to raise the status of stamps and art and increase people’s appreciation of them.” This year’s winner was glass artist, Alma Jantunen. She specialises in creating plant life as glass art. Her work is featured on two stamps showing titled Fruit Bottles and Cactus Pigga, due out in the fall.
People often ask how long it takes. A glass vessel can be made in a minute, but learning how to make it takes years. I throw away pieces that aren’t good enough; sometimes everything breaks. It takes a lot of work to obtain high quality where the design turns out well.
Discover Alma Jantunen, artisan Glassblower in Nuutajärvi – Homo Faber Guide.
If you have access to Netflix, check to see if your country is streaming the Canadian show Blown Away. It’s a glassblowing competition currently showing it’s second season.
Quick note on cancels
I’m not happy with the quality of the cancels I’ve used in this article. Although Finland’s post office is first rate in supplying images, they don’t offer much in the way of cancels, so I’ve kind of muddled along with clipping them from FDCs. My apologies to cancel hounds, I’ll try to remedy that as soon as possible.
Now onto the Finland’s 2021 stamp offerings. Enjoy Finland, I certainly did.
January
Finnish Journalists’ Association 100 years
1 stamp, sheet of 10, FDC, cancel
Designer: Ilkka Kärkkäinen
Kärkkäinen designed last year’s cheeky “You are what you read stamps” (see below). He was Finland’s Graphic Designer of the Year in 2003. Helsinki Design Week featured him in their March 2021 article.
Release date: January 20, 2021
Greeting flowers – traditional Finnish perennial ornamental plants
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, booklet of two
Designer: Oona Himanen
Previous stamp designs include 2020 Spring Rhyme / Migratory birds, 2019 Kalla lilly plant
Release date: January 20, 2021
Flower garden
2 stamps, sheet of 10, FDC, cancel
Designer: Paula Salviander
Previous designs include 2020 Wildflowers and Christmas, 2019 Winter Wonders and Frosty Day, 2016 Red House
Salviander’s 2020 wildflowers issues won 3rd place in Finland’s “Most Beautiful Stamp of 2020” competition.
2020 Wildflowers by Paula Salviander
Release date: January 20, 2021
Taking care of …
6 stamps, sheet of 6, FDC, cancel
Designer: Riku Ounaslehto
“The stamp year begins with Valentine’s Day postmarks showing fairy tale-like animals and colourful patterns formed by flowers” Posti press release
Release date: January 20, 2021
April
Lotta Svärd – 100 years of social responsibility
2 stamps, booklet of 10, FDC, cancel
Designer: Klaus Welp
The photographs in the two stamps were picked from the Lotta Museum’s extensive photographic collection that contains over 25,000 photos.
Release date: April 28, 2021
1 stamp, sheet of 10, FDC, cancel
Designer: Klaus Welp
Welp has designed over 100 stamps for the Finnish Post Office. A few my favourite designs include the 2020’s Europa Ancient Postal Routes, Two Hearts, 2018 Finnish Flavours and 2015 Moomins
At the same time, the stamp celebrates Klaus Welp’s extensive career as a stamp designer, as it is already one hundred stamps designed by Welp. Known as a versatile graphic designer and photographer, Welp’s stamps have seen many different topics on a wide scale.
“My favourites include Tove Jansson’s 100th birthday marks, whose work process I experienced particularly strongly. Different environmental themes have also been close to my heart,” Welp says.
Klaus Welp has designed e.g. The most beautiful Wilderness Bridge postage stamp voted the most beautiful in Finland, which also came second in the Europe-wide competition for EUROPA stamps in 2018.
Posti News release: April stamps celebrate lottery and postcard 21.1.21
Release date: April 28, 2021
Postcard 150 years
6 stamps, sheet of 6, FDC, cancel
Designers: Susanna Rumpu and Ari Lakaniemi
Rumpu and Lakaniemi have designed a number of stamps together, including the winner of the “Most Beautiful Stamp of 2013” for their Europa: Mail Delivery Vehicles. They also designed the 2007’s Moomin series. You can never have too many Moomins in your life.
Release date: April 28, 2021
Europa: Endangered Animals
3rd in series titled Endangered Animals
3 stamps, FDC, cancel
Finland chose the theme “flying or gliding endangered animals and insects”
- Kingfisher
- Large Pollo Butterfly
- Flying Squirrel
Designer: Petteri Mattila
Mattila also designed the previous 2 issues in this series in 2018 and 2016.
Release date: April 28, 2021
You can see all of 2021’s Europa stamps here.
September
Glass Blowing
2 stamps, booklet of 10
- Fruit Bottles
- Cactus Pigga
Glass art: Alma Janntte
The Finnish Post Office awarded the 2021 art prize to glass blower Alma Jantte, who’s work is featured on these two stamps.
Designer: Paula Salviander
Release date: September 8, 2021
Autumn kajo
5 stamps on a miniature sheet
Photographer: Jukka Risikko
All photos were taken in South Ostrobothnia around the town Lapua.
If you like Risikko’s work, check out his Instagram page and his website, Jukka Risikko Photography – Jukka Risikko Photography (weebly.com). The video below is a brief look at his nature photography:
Release date: September 8, 2021
Green tips for everyday living
6 stamps, booklet of 6
Designer: Anssi Kähärä with Sari Laine from Sitra (Sustainable lifestyle choices have become part of everyday life – Sitra)
Release date: September 8, 2021
Classic paintings from Finland 1884 to 1930
- Ellen Thesleffin Kaiku (1891)
- Albert Edelfelt’s Playing Boys on the Beach (1884)
- Akseli Gallen-Kallela Skaters on Kalela Beach (1896)
- Helene Schjerfbeck’s Convalescent (1888)
- Eero Järnefelt’s Landscape from Koli (1930)
- Juho Rissanen’s Avanno’s Onkijat (1900)
- Hugo Simberg’s Sheep Girl (1913)
- Ferdinand von Wright’s Fighting Metsos (1886)
Järnefelt’s artwork should resonate with admirers’ of the Canadian Group of 7 painters. His work shares the same rugged appeal that captures northern landscapes so well. If you are unfamiliar with trees and northern climates take a look at en – Koli.fi, where the painting was done. Canadians should feel right at home with the landscape. Wikipedia has a pretty good write up of the artist: Eero Järnefelt – Wikipedia.
Designer: Ilkka Kärkkäinen
Release date: September 8, 2021
November
Christmas 2021
3 stamps
- Red stopper bird
- Northern lights
- Christmas Lights
Designer: Klaus Welp
Release date: November 3, 2021
First Snow
2 stamps, sheets of 10
Designer: Matti Pikkujämsä
Release date: November 3, 2021
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