Posti granted the stamp art promotion award for 2023 to Åland-based art photographer Christoffer Relander, who is known in Finland and around the world for his multiple exposure photographs that combine human figures and nature.
Two of Relander’s photographs were selected for the stamps: Perfume and Butterfly Mind II. Both photos are from the series We Are Nature, which Relander started in 2010. “The series still continues today and has become an increasingly personal project over the years. I photographed my own daughter for the new Butterfly stamp,” says Relander.
Relander is fascinated by multiple exposure because it allows photos to be created, not just taken. “Creating a photo is similar to painting and visual design. Training in graphic design provides a good foundation for mastering shapes and silhouettes.”
Nature and forests have been an important part of Relander’s life since childhood. “There is something human about the shapes and patterns of trees, leaves and branches. Deciduous trees and oaks, in particular, are my favorites.”
When photographing people, Relander wants to focus more generally on the human form rather than the individual. “When the people in the photos are anonymous, the viewer has more room for their own interpretation. Identifiable persons would draw too much attention to themselves.”
Presented for the seventh time, this was the first time that Posti’s art award celebrated art photography. With its own art award, Posti wants to raise the status of stamps and art and increase people’s appreciation of them.
Posti’s Art Award 2023 will be issued as a 10-stamp sheet containing two different domestic no-value indicator stamp designs.
