The UN 2023 stamp program starts, like so many others, with the annual Lunar New Year.  For the second year in row, Chinese artist Tiger Pan supplies artwork for the celebration, taking over from Wang Humming, who created the 2021 Year of Ox set. The United Nations taps artists from around the world to create special issues, so collectors get a chance to acquire tiny pieces of art from some of the best in the business. 

However ….

The UN Post office is very parsimonious in the advanced information they release regarding artists and designers. They release a tentative list, well before the first issue appears, but no information beyond the date, topic and number of issues. That’s okay, it gives us something to look for.  

As well as designs from UN stalwarts Sergio Baradat and Rorie Katz, the 2022 program also gave us art from Martin Mörck and Olga Shtonda. But hands down, the best design from 2022, was Tiger’s Tigers. 

I think what made this such an extraordinary issue were Pan’s thoughts about the design:

Inspired by the classic verse “Tiger in the heart, smell the rose” in Sigfried Sassoon’s masterpiece “In My Past, Present and Future”. This verse is wrapped in a universal value, and everything has two sides, one representing strength and the other representing delicacy. Tiger Pan Pan on Behance

That’s one of the great thing about the Internet. It has allowed stamp collectors a bit of insight into the artist’s thought process. It’s not always easy to find, but hunting down the information is part of the joy, for me, of stamps.  It often brings a greater appreciation of the design and art. 

Did you know you can get updates sent directly to your mailbox? My newsletter goes out Sunday nights (or Monday morning, depending on where you are) and includes a list of all updated stamp programs, new article links and subscriber only content. It’s free! 

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January

Chinese Lunar Calendar Year of the Rabbit

1 stamp, sheets of 10, show card
Show cards issued for SARASOTA NAT’L STAMP EXHIBITION

Once again, Pan’s design included the Gongbi 工笔 art style by illustrator Li Jing.  To learn more about Gongbi start with  Cultural Treasures of China – Gongbi & Shuimo Painting – Cultural Keys. It’s a nice introduction  to understand this ancient artform that dates to 206 BCE – 220 CE. This page Gongbi Painting: Traditional Chinese Realistic Painting (chinaculture.org), goes into a bit of detail explaining the techniques.

The stamp interface continues the style of the United Nations Year of the Tiger stamps, using a painting technique with Chinese characteristics – “Gongbi”. Combined with the auspicious clouds painted in white, concise and clean, without embellishment, a vivid and expressive rabbit, soaring up the clouds and looking high into the future. Show the charm of traditional Chinese aesthetics and art, so that more Chinese people have a strong resonance and affect homesickness.  Tiger Pan Pan on Behance

Designer: Tiger Pan (China)
TIger Pan also designed the 2022 Year of the Tiger and the 2018 Year of the Dog sets
Gongbi Illustrator: Li Jing

Release date: January 20, 2023

March

Endangered Species (CITES 50TH Anniversary)

3 stamps, 3 sheets of 16, 3 maxi cards, FDCs, 3 cancels, souvenir collection folder, Limited Edition silk cover 
Offset lithography

50th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)  

Friday, 3 March 2023 marks the 50^th anniversary of the signing of a landmark convention that stands at the crossroads of wildlife conservation and sustainable trade. Today we also celebrate the day when 10 years ago the United Nations General Assembly agreed an international day to honour the importance of wild animals and plants. Both anniversaries fall at a time of unprecedented challenge for nature and biodiversity, with millions of species of wild animals and plants affected by the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution. Celebrating 50 years of CITES conserving the world’s wild animals and plants on World Wildlife Day 2023  | CITES

Artist: 王荣亮 Rlon Wang  
Rlon is a Shenzhen, Guangdong based artist. He is also known as Rlonart. 
RLoN Wang – Official website of Rlonart
This is Rlon’s second set of stamps for the United Nations. Previous design was Endangered Species 2019
Designer: Rorie Katz

Release date: March 3, 2023

The Fifth UN Conference of Least Developed Countries (LDC5)

3 stamps on a numbered souvenir sheet, cancel
16,000 souvenir sheets were released 

The mission of the Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) is to raise awareness about the economic, social and environmental potential that exist in these countries. They aim to ensure that the pressing needs of the 1.1 billion people who live in those countries remain high on the international agenda. 
UN press release 

Photographs: 

• Mali (sunset in water) © UN Photo/Marco Dormino
• Afghanistan (group of girls) © UNOCHA/Charlotte Cans
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (Woman with arms out) © UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti,
• Timor-Leste (hands with coffee beans) © UN Photo/Martine Perret.

Designer: OHRLLS

Release date: March 5, 2023

April 

WHO – Health for all

2 stamps, sheets of 10
offset

Release date: April 7, 2023

World Art Day

6 stamps, 6 sheets of 12 stamps 
offset lithography

 details coming 

This set will include: 

• US$ 0.63       Henry Moore – Reclining Figure – Henry Moore OM, CH, ‘Reclining Figure’ 1951 (Henry Moore: Sculptural Process and Public Identity) | Tate
• US$ 1.45       Le Corbusier – Pinton Frères Le Corbusier – Pinton (pinton1867.com)
• CHF 1,10       Rosa María Pujol Avellana – Soleil éclatant
• CHF 2,30       Toshihiro Hamano – Dove of Peace
• € 1,00             Pablo Picasso – The Fall of Icarus
• € 1,90             Yves Pede – The spirits of the ancestors

World Art Day was declared in 2019. It is part of a UNESCO initiative to recognise the importance of art & promote public enjoyment and awareness. World Art Day | UNESCO

Designer: Sergio Baradat (United Nations) using designs from UNESCO Art Collection 

Release date: April 15, 2023

UNITAR – United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) 60th Anniversary

1 stamp, sheets of 10

This sheet could be personalised. The UN logo could be replaced with a different image.

Release date: April 15, 2023

May  

Postal Stationery

 3 pre-stamped envelopes

63¢ pre-stamped envelope large
€ 1,20 revalued pre-stamped envelope (2022 €0,85 + €0,35)
€ 1,90 revalued pre-stamped envelope (2022 €1,80 + €0,10)

Release date: May 5, 2023

International Tea Day

10 stamps, sheets of 10 

This sheet could be personalised. The UN logo could be replaced with a different image.

Release date: May 21, 2023

June 

World Ocean Day / Coral Reefs

27 stamps on 3 sheets, 3 FDCs, 3 cancels
Hexachrome

US$ 0.63 The Florida reefs, United States
CHF 1,10 Tubbataha Reef, Philippines
€ 1,00 The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Designer: Sergio Baradat

Release date:  June 8, 2023

Don’t Choose Extinction – UNDP

3 stamps on 3 souvenir sheet, 3 FDCs, 3 cancels
offset

At the heart of the campaign is a short film launched by UNDP featuring an animated dinosaur named Frankie (voiced by actor Jack Black), who storms up to the General Assembly podium at United Nations Headquarters in New York, shocking diplomats and urging world leaders to take action before it is too late. Frankie the Dino calls out Governments for spending billions on fossil fuel subsidies. Don’t Choose Extinction – UN Stamps

Designer: Rorie Katz using designs by Activista creative agency and Framestore productions

Release date:  June 20, 2023

August 

Body, Mind and Soul

3 stamps, 3 souvenir sheets, 4 FDCs, 3 cancels, 3 sheets of 20
offset lithography

Celebrating UNESCO intangible cultural heritage from China – Taijiquan, Calligraphy and Guqin and its music

Taijiquan, also called Tai chi was inscribed in the intangible list 2020: 

Chinese calligraphy was inscribed in 2009:

Guquin (zither) and its music was inscribed in 2008. This ancient instrument traces its roots back 3000 years:

Artist: Yun Zhang (P.R. China)
Designer: Rorie Katz (United Nations)

Release date:  August 10, 2023

September

UNESCO World Heritage – Türkiye

6 stamps, 6 FDCs (single stamps), 3 FDCs (combos), 6 sheets of 20 stamps, 3 prestige booklets 
offset

• US$ 0.66 Nemrut Dağ
• US$ 1.50 Selimiye Mosque
• CHF 1,10 Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
• CHF 1,80 Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği
• € 1,20 Ephesus
• € 2,10 Historic Areas of Istanbul

Designer: Rorie Katz

Release date: September 8, 2023

October

World Mental Health Day

3 stamps, souvenir card (stamped and unstamped), FDCs (single stamps and blocks), 3 sheets of 10 stamps
Hexachrome

World Mental Health Day was established to raise awareness, worldwide, about mental health and supporting those struggling with it. 

• US$ 1.50 Confusion
• CHF 1,80 Rainy days and Mondays
• € 1,20 Mood swings

Designer: Sergio Baradat

Release date: October 10, 2023

November

UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP28) – Climate Action Superheroes

3 stamps on souvenir sheet  

Release date:  November 6, 2023

 Women in STEM – Marie Curie
 Definitive Stamp

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 20 

Marie Curie is best known for her pioneering research in radioactivity and her
discovery of two elements, polonium and radium. She was the first woman to
receive a Nobel Prize, the first person to receive a Nobel Prize twice, and the
only person to receive a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields.

UN Bulletin 142

Engraver/artist: Martin Mörck
Designer: Rorie Katz

Release date: November 7, 2023