largest show on late artist tove jansson, creator of beloved moomin characters, opens in paris

‘houses of tove jansson’ exhibition opens in paris

From September 29 to October 29, 2023, Paris hosts Houses of Tove Jansson, the first and largest exhibition in central Europe and France devoted to the life and career of the late Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson — best known as the creator of the Moomins, the beloved white roundish trolls.

Houses of Tove Jansson is a comprehensive retrospective of Jansson, illuminating her life story, literary and artistic work, and highlighting the universal and timeless themes of her oeuvre. ‘Jansson’s approach to work, just like her approach to life, was wholehearted and vital. She would strive for originality and freshness while maintaining values that were both humane and inclusive,’  share The Community, a Paris-based art institution, the artist’s estate, and Moomin Characters all of which co-organize the exhibition. For the first time, Tove Jansson’s work is juxtaposed with works by contemporary artists, offering new perspectives on her legacy. The exhibition also includes a capsule collection by Ana Kraš x cc-tapis, D’heygere, Sabine Marcelis, and Vitelli, who created one-of-a-kind items inspired by the artist’s life and work.

installation image of Houses of Tove Jansson | all images © The Community & Moomin Characters Ltd. unless stated otherwise

Exploring the Life and Work of Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson was a prolific and versatile artist, achieving early fame as a painter and illustrator, and later as a writer of novels, short stories, poems, and plays for radio and theater. Houses of Tove Jansson explores her life and work, focusing on the complexities of a female and queer artist operating in a male-dominated world in the mid-20th century.

The exhibition by The Community (find more here), the Tove Jansson estate (find more here), and Moomin Characters (find more here) begins with the early development of Jansson’s visual language and narrative style, and brings together key works that were turning points in her career. This includes a selection of her paintings, drawings, illustrations, and texts, some of which will be on display for the first time. Visitors will have a window into Jansson’s fantasy universe, with early Moomin materials and illustrations for other classic books such as Alice in Wonderland and The Hobbit.

for the first time, Tove Jansson’s work is juxtaposed with works by contemporary artists

the moomin phenomenon and jansson’s love for nature

As the creator of the international phenomenon, the Moomins, the exhibition explores multiple iterations of Moomin stories, including theater, comics, and merchandising. Jansson’s love of nature was a constant theme in her life and work, especially the sea that surrounded the Finnish island Klovharu where she spent her summers. A portion of the exhibition focuses on the archipelago, introducing Jansson’s second home, which was a constant source of inspiration for her and the setting for her classic Nordic novel, The Summer Book. This section also displays recently discovered ephemera from her personal travels, such as drawings on hotel notepads.

the exhibition also includes a capsule collection that celebrates Jansson’s life and work

Moomin capsule collection 

The Community has invited a group of contemporary artists who share an affinity with Tove Jansson’s work and life to reflect on her influence in their own work. The selected group includes Carlotta Bailly-Borg, Anne Bourse, Vidya Gastaldon, Elmgreen & Dragset, Ida Ekblad, Emma Kohlmann, and Cerith Wyn Evans. Meanwhile, in celebration of the exhibition’s opening, Moomin Characters has collaborated with Ana Kraš x cc-tapis, D’heygere, Sabine Marcelis and Vitelli to create one-of-a-kind items inspired by Jansson’s life and work. The capsule collection features a diverse mix of apparel, jewelry, and housewares. 

Vitelli tapestries for Tove Jansson

visitors have a window into Jansson’s fantasy universe, with early Moomin materials and illustrations

the show features some of Tove Jansson’s drawings, illustrations, and texts, which have never been exhibited before

Tove Jansson, Rökande Flicka (Smoking Girl), 1940, oil on canvas, 41 X 33,5 cm | image © Tove Jansson Estate

Tove Jansson, Tove and the Moomin characters, N.D., ink on paper, framed: 30,5 x 30 x 3 cm | image © Tove Jansson Estate

Tove Jansson, Little My paper doll, N.D., watercolor and gouache on paper, 37 X 24,5 cm | image © Tove Jansson Estate

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Tove Jansson, Sommarön (Summer Island), N. D., pencil and gouache on paper, 15 X 24 cm | image © Tove Jansson Estate

Tove Jansson, Lynx Boa (Self-portrait), 1942. oil | image © Tove Jansson Estate

Tove Jansson, I Kaminens Värme (In The Hea T Of The St Ove), 1953, oil on canvas, 55 X 46,5 cm | image © Tove Jansson Estate

Tove Jansson, Sketches From Travels With Tuulikki Pietilä, N.D., ink on paper, 21 X 30 cm | image © Tove Jansson Estate

Tove Jansson, Untitled, N.D., ink on paper, 34 X 45 cm | image © Tove Jansson Estate

Vidya Gastaldon, Healing Painting (Canons À Neige), 2023, oil paint on found painting, 57.5 X 45 Cm | Image Courtesy Of ;Wilde, Genève; Art: Concept, Paris

Emma Kohlmann, Stag Horn and Bloom, 2023, watercolour and sumi ink on paper, 127 x 152,4 cm | image © Alexander Rotondo

Carlotta Bailly, Borg Futur Ancien Fugitif, 2019

Vitelli for Tove Jansson | photos by Pietro Cattaneo Bernocchi and courtesy of Vitelli

Vitelli for Tove Jansson | photos by Pietro Cattaneo Bernocchi and courtesy of Vitelli

Sabine Marcellis for Tove Jansson | image by Titia Hahne and courtesy of Sabine Marcelis Studio

Sabine Marcellis for Tove Jansson | image by Titia Hahne and courtesy of Sabine Marcelis Studio

D'heygere for Tove Jansson | image courtesy of D'heygere

D'heygere for Tove Jansson | image courtesy of D'heygere

project info: 

name: Houses of Tove Jansson
organized by: The Community,Tove Jansson Estate, and Moomin Characters
location: 8 Impasse de Mont-Louis, 75011 Paris
dates: 29 September – October 29 2023