IT'S NOT JUST A HOBBY


Friday, September 6, 2019

Finland 2019 - Art Award, Fashion



Date of Issue: 11 September 2019

Posti Ltd has given the stamp art promotion award of 2019 to Mert Otsamo, a fashion designer who has designed clothes and jewelry for various celebrities for events such as galas, stages and the annual Independence Day Reception. AD Paula Salviander is responsible for the graphic design of the Posti art award 2019 stamps. The stamps will be issued as a 10-stamp sheet containing 2 different domestic no-value indicator stamp designs.

Posti’s art award given to fashion designer Mert Otsamo – Stamps featuring Otsamo’s statuesque evening gowns to be issued in September

Posti Ltd has given the stamp art promotion award of 2019 to Mert Otsamo, a fashion designer who has gained fame for the evening gowns he has designed for occasions such as the annual Independence Day Reception at the Presidential Palace. The award consists of a EUR 10,000 cash prize and a stamp publication of the artist’s work. Stamps featuring Otsamo’s statuesque evening gowns will be issued in September.

As a fashion designer, Mert Otsamo has become known for his original style and statuesque evening gowns. Otsamo has been interested in shapes all his life. “What interests me in design is the diversity that exists both in clothing and in jewelry. As a designer, I think it is important to be innovative and experiment with different materials and techniques. Through my work, I want to illustrate the changes taking place in our culture.”

Mert Otsamo was surprised to receive the art award. “I am very excited and grateful for the award. Stamps show the spirit of the time they were issued, and I am very happy that I can become a part of this distinguished tradition through my works. I can hardly wait for the stamps to be issued in September.”

The art award finds new designers for stamps

With the art award, Posti wants to raise the status of stamps and increase people’s appreciation for them. “The evening gowns designed by Mert Otsamo represent unique Finnish design and are visually interesting. We use the award to find new and surprising people to design stamps. Mert Otsamo is a young and talented artist who works skillfully in various fields of design,” says Design Manager Tommi Kantola, Chairman of Posti’s Art Committee.

This is the third time Posti’s art award is being handed out. In 2017, the art award was given to sculptor Jasmin Anoschkin, and in 2018, it was given to graffiti artist EGS.

Mert Otsamo, 28, is a fashion designer who dramatically draws attention to the contrasts of the human figure in his designs. He has designed clothes and jewelry for various celebrities, for example Finnish musicians. His designs have been worn by guests at galas and the annual Independence Day Reception over several years. Otsamo rose to fame through the 2009 Muodin huipulle (Finnish version of Project Runway) TV show, aired on MTV3. Otsamo reached the top 3 in the competition. In fall 2018, Otsamo and jeweler A. Tillander released a collaboration in the form of a ten-piece jewelry collection called My Childhood Dreams.

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