Year of the Dragon: See the latest Lunar New Year stamp designed by RI's Camille Chew
The U.S. Postal Service unveiled the Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon Forever stamp, and once again Rhode Island School of Design graduate Camille Chew is the artist behind the stamp.
A Providence resident, Chew has designed the annual Lunar New Year stamps since 2020. The postal service has issued Lunar New Year stamps for more than three decades. Chew’s is the third Lunar New Year series, which will continue through 2031.
This year is the year of the dragon which will begin on Feb. 10, and is considered by many to be the most auspicious sign in the Chinese zodiac. The dragon is a symbol of success, wisdom and power.
“The Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon stamp is much more than U.S. postage,” said Joël Barraquiel Tan, the Wing Luke Museum executive director in a press release. “It reflects a much larger narrative about inclusion and equity.”
For the stamp, Chew “constructed the dragon mask out of hand-printed paper, then cut, scored, and folded it into shape,” a press release said. “She embellished the mask with acrylic paint and other paper elements, like flowers and tassels, and covered the back of the mask in a layer of papier-mâché. The completed mask was photographed on a white background.”
Chew could not be reached for comment, but said in 2020 having her work displayed on a stamp was exciting because of the reach.
“It’s a really exciting place to get your artwork displayed because so many people get to see it and it travels all over the world,” she said.
Chew works with USPS art director Antonio Alcalá on the series.
USPS has released their ‘Year of the Dragon’ stamp design to mark Lunar New Year, designed by none other than Providence’s own Camille Chew.
Excited for Camille’s art to start appearing in mail boxes all over the country!https://t.co/dfSfc4vfl9— Congressman Seth Magaziner (@Rep_Magaziner) January 29, 2024
The Postal Service printed 22 million stamps of Chew’s design. A “forever stamp” it will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1‑ounce price.
The stamps are available for sale through the Postal Store, by calling (844) 737-7826 or at Post Office locations nationwide. For officially licensed stamp products, shop the USPS Officially Licensed Collection on Amazon.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: USPS's Lunar New Year stamp designed by RI's Camille Chew
