Creator: Studio A / United States Postal Service
Client: United States Postal Service
This U.S. postage stamp commemorates the Lunar New Year. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed during Lunar New Year parades, the artist’s three-dimensional masks are a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this auspicious time of year. Utilizing orange as the predominant color—characteristic of tiger markings and said to be one of the lucky colors for individuals born during the Year of the Tiger—the tiger mask incorporates elements with symbolic meaning. Several of the patterns and details were created with the style of Asian textiles in mind as well as green flowers that represent the arrival of spring, which Lunar New Year also signals in Chinese culture. The motif atop the tiger’s head—printed with purple foil—references the celestial themes of the Chinese zodiac. On the pane of 20 stamps, simplified illustrations of the 12 zodiac animals are printed with gold foil.
Additional Credits
Antonio Alcalá, Art Director
Antonio Alcalá, Designer
Camille Chew, Artist