About This Stamp
In 2026, the U.S. Postal Service issues the seventh of 12 stamps in the newest Lunar New Year series. Parades, fireworks, and festivals mark the Lunar New Year holiday in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and other East and Southeast Asian communities across America.
Beginning in 2020, in observance of the Lunar New Year holiday, the U.S. Postal Service introduced its third — and current — Lunar New Year stamp series. This is the seventh Forever® stamp in that series, which will continue through 2031 with stamps for the Year of the Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar.
Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original art by Camille Chew. Two previous award-winning Lunar New Year series ran from 1992 to 2004 and from 2008 to 2019 and showcased the art of Clarence Lee and Kam Mak, respectively.
“I love the current series!” says Alcalá. “Whenever I speak about the stamp program to students or other professional designers, this Lunar New Year series always gets positive feedback. One woman even got a tattoo of the Year of the Rat artwork on her leg — truly a ‘forever stamp’!”
The Year of the Horse stamp features a colorful three-dimensional mask depicting a horse. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances, often performed during Lunar New Year parades, artist Camille Chew’s three-dimensional designs are a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk-art crafts created during this auspicious time of year.
Chew constructed the three-dimensional horse mask out of hand printed paper, then cut, scored, and folded it into shape. She then 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 mask was then photographed on a white background for this series.
“Overall,” Alcalá says, “the positive responses to the more contemporary look are numerous and encouraging.”
The Year of the Horse begins February 17, 2026, and concludes on February 6, 2027. People born in the Year of the Horse are said to be energetic, free-spirited, confident, and hardworking, as horses are symbols of speed, strength, and endurance. These attributes resonate with many who seek success, stability, and good fortune in the new year.
In the United States, the Year of the Horse is particularly popular due to its associations with ambition, independence, and freedom — qualities that align with the American ethos. Many Asian-Americans and non-Asians alike view the Year of the Horse as a time to embrace energy and drive, set new goals, and tackle challenges head-on.
The Year of the Horse stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp in panes of 20. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Antonio Alcalá
Antonio Alcalá served on the Postmaster General’s Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010 until 2011, when he left to become an art director for the U.S. Postal Service's stamp development program.
He is founder and co-owner of Studio A, a design practice working with museums and arts institutions. His clients include: the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips Collection, and Smithsonian Institution. He also lectures at colleges including the Corcoran College of Art + Design, SVA, Pratt, and MICA.
In 2008, his work and contributions to the field of graphic design were recognized with his selection as an AIGA Fellow. He has judged international competitions for the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, AIGA, and Graphis. Alcalá also serves on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and Poster House Museum’s advisory councils. His designs are represented in the AIGA Design Archives, the National Postal Museum, and the Library of Congress Permanent Collection of Graphic Design.
Alcalá graduated from Yale University with a BA in history and from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in graphic design. He lives with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.
Stamp Artist
Camille Chew
amille Chew grew up in Ithaca, New York, in a family that encouraged creative expression. She studied fine art with a concentration in printmaking at Alfred University and is currently pursuing her MFA in printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design.
After college, Chew used social media to promote her art while interning at a print shop in her hometown. Through her online posts, she gained her first clients. Since then, she has been working as a printmaker, exhibiting artist, and freelance illustrator. Her client list includes Quirk Books, the Asian American Literary Review, Quanta Magazine, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and CICADA magazine.
With a colorful, graphic style that incorporates intricate patterns and symbols, Chew uses her work to explore themes of mythology and fantasy. A magical flair gives her art a quirky sensibility while clean lines provide a contemporary take on her subjects.
Chew lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island.
She was commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service to design the 12-year Lunar New Year stamp series that began in 2020 and will continue through 2031.
