Fans of the Moomins have reason to rejoice this summer, as the children’s book characters created by Finnish artist Tove Jansson will alight at the Brooklyn Public Library in “Tove Jansson and the Moomins: The Door Is Always Open,” marking the first-ever exhibition dedicated to the artist and the beloved Moomins. Opening June 28, the show—which is free and open to the public—coincides with a milestone year for Moomin, which kicked off with a monumental exhibition at the Helsinki Art Museum and a full series of events staged around Finland.
First official Moomin dolls made by Atelier Fauni (ca. 1950s). © Moomin Characters.
“It’s been a huge pleasure working on this with the Brooklyn Public Library, and it’s been a long time coming,” said Thomas Zambra, head of business development at Moomin Characters Ltd., and part of the third generation of the Jansson family. “We are celebrating the 80th anniversary of Moomin, so it’s a fantastic time to be able to have such an exhibition, and it is really the centerpiece of our celebrations in the United States this year.”
Written and illustrated by Jansson, the first Moomin book, , was published in 1945 and ultimately became the bedrock for an entire creative world. In the story, the earliest cast of characters—Moominpapa, Moominmama, Snif, the Hattifatteners, and more—are first introduced, and it tells the tale of the long and arduous journey they take to find Moominvalley, where they ultimately make their home. Moominvalley and later Moominhouse are the symbolic heart of the subsequent stories, a site of play and adventure as well as life lessons.
First Swedish edition of the first Moomin story, (1945). © Moomin Characters.
While the story takes place in a fantastical, fictional time and place, the themes presented in this first book and throughout subsequent tales are very applicable to the real world, particularly today. Community, migration, empathy, and family (both biological and found) are just some of the premises that are explored throughout the adventures of Moomin and company, and ones that are reflected too in the Brooklyn Public Library’s ethos.
“Moominvalley and the Moominhouse are the central pieces of the Moomin universe, and they are this place of safe haven, a place where people are welcome regardless of who they are and what they look like,” said Zambra. “The library has this same role within the community. It’s a place where all types of people are welcome. It has this role as a safe space for the community, which ties beautifully with the idea of the anniversary year.”
Moominhouse created by created by Tove Jansson, Tuulikki Pietilä and Pentti Eistola. © Linus-Lindholm / Moomin Characters.
Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library, echoed this sentiment in a statement: “Coinciding with summer at the library and Pride month, this imaginative and joyful exhibition invites visitors of all ages to explore the world of Tove Jansson. Jansson’s work aligns closely with our mission to foster understanding, curiosity, and a sense of belonging through storytelling. Rooted in themes of openness, exploration, and inclusion, her work reflects the library’s commitment to providing free and welcoming access to ideas, culture, and community.”
Tove Jansson in her studio. © Eva Konikoff / Tove Jansson Estate.
Zambra also noted that just a couple of decades ago, there was a fissure between considerations of Jansson and the Moomins, and exhibitions or writing would typically home in on one or the other. This separation can, in part, be traced to the artist’s identity as woman artist hailing from a far-flung Nordic country, and one who identified as queer. “The Door Is Always Open” takes a more cohesive, comprehensive approach, wherein the author and illustrator’s life story and perspective are recognized as the informing force behind the Moomin universe.
Swedish edition of , illustrated by Tove Jansson (1966). © Tove Jansson Estate.
While the Moomins began as just a few storybooks, today they are part of an entire ecosystem of children’s literature, toys, and films that have experienced a growing following in the decades since the Moomins’ inception. Through immersive installations, archival materials, multilingual editions of the books, and film screenings, the exhibition is a prime opportunity for those new to the work to explore both the world of Moomin as well as Jansson’s other work—such as her illustrations of J.R.R. Tolkein’s and Lewis Carroll’s —and for longtime fans a chance to get to know the characters and the creator behind them better.
Zambra concluded, “I hope that there is something enjoyable for people who are completely new to the Moomins and to Tove, that they find something interesting, something beautiful, and that they’re inspired by the way of life of the Moomins and can integrate something of that into their own life.”
Source: Exhibition - news.artnet.com
