Tove Jansson – Paradise dives into a world of joy and beauty

Tove Jansson – Paradise marks the first occasion that Tove Jansson’s (1914-2001) public paintings will be featured collectively in one exhibition. Filling half of HAM’s exhibition space on two floors, it presents over 180 artworks and other exhibits, along with a notable collection of previously unexhibited sketches.  

The exhibition provides an overview of murals that Jansson painted on commission in public spaces during the 1940s and 1950s. It presents her lesser-known work in the mural genre in its entirety, from her smallest decorative paintings to her monumental frescoes. Highlights include six large charcoal drawings that offer rare insights into her creative process. The sketches were found in Jansson’s studio and have never before been shown to the public. 

“The exhibition invites you on a journey into Tove’s world, showcasing her special gift for bringing playfulness into the sometimes harsh world in which we exist. It was norm-defying for an artist of her day to paint murals of mermaids, unicorns, rainbows and Moomins, and that is precisely what makes them so ‘Tove’ – her murals are bold, unabashedly playful, and even a little defiant,” says the exhibition’s curator Heli Harni. 

After the exhibition closes, selected highlights will travel to Japan for a touring exhibition of Jansson’s public art. The exhibition will tour nearly ten venues in Japan from summer 2025 onwards. 

Longing for harmony 

Jansson’s public murals offer a glimpse into the boundless depths of her rich imagination. They also reflect her dreamy longing for an idyllic escape from the horrors of war. 

“I’ve never dreamt and planned as much as I have in these past few years. Not as a game – but as an absolute necessity,” wrote Jansson in a letter to her friend Eva Konikoff in October 1944. 

Most of Jansson’s public murals were painted during the post-war reconstruction era, and many were located in buildings intended for children or young students, such as a private kindergarten in Kotka (1949), Kotka Vocational School (1952), and the Kiila Swedish-language elementary school in Karjaa (1953). Many are found in contexts of relaxation and revelry, such as Hotel Seurahuone in Hamina (1952), the staff canteen at the Strömberg factory (1945), the City of Helsinki’s Kaupunginkellari restaurant (1947) and the staff canteen of the Nordic Union Bank (today Nordea) (1954).   

Mastering monumentalism 

Jansson painted her labour-intensive public murals during an intense peak of creativity that coincided with her first solo exhibitions at Bäcksbacka’s Konstsalongen Art Gallery and the launch of her first Moomin books. Background information on her life and times is provided through illustrations of wartime Helsinki, along with artworks and illustrations that inspired her mural style. 

Further insights into her inner world are offered by a selection of works from HAM’s Leonard and Katarina Bäcksbacka Collection, as well as photographs, videos and a recently completed documentary about Jansson’s altarpiece in Teuva Church. The documentary will be screened on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. The exhibition architecture, designed by Linda Bergroth, emphasizes Jansson's creative process while enhancing the monumental scale of her public works.

Mischievous cameo appearances by Moomins 

The exhibition celebrates 80 years of the Moomins, as next year marks the 80^th anniversary of the publication of Småtrollen och den stora översvämningen (The Moomins and the Great Flood). Moomin characters appear as Jansson’s trademark in many of her murals, sometimes also romping merrily as the gleeful main protagonists. 

Visually stunning major publication 

The Paradise exhibition will be accompanied by an eponymous 170-page book published in three languages. Comprising an extensive collection of images of artworks along with additional photographs, the richly illustrated volume provides a comprehensive introduction to the artist’s lesser-known achievements in the mural genre. The publication was edited by the curator, Heli Harni, and freelance writer Tuija Huovinen, with articles contributed by Harni herself, Docent Sirke Happonen, PhD, Asta Kihlman, PhD, and Johanna Ruohonen, PhD. 

Hattifattener disco and other events 

A colourful lineup of events will accompany the Tove Jansson – Paradise exhibition.  The main highlights will be HAM’s Paradise Days on November 30, 2024 and March 1, 2025, during which visitors are invited to enjoy talks, performances, music, workshops and even a Hattifattener disco. During the run of the exhibition, HAM will also host workshops organized by Jansson-inspired artists, illustrators and cartoonists, as well as solo performances by students of acting. Crowning our programme of special events is a series of concerts presented by actress and singer Emma Klingenberg based on songs written by Tove Jansson. 

New Tove Jansson Gallery opening in 2026 

Jansson’s monumental frescoes Party in the City (1947) and Party in the Countryside (1947) have been on display at HAM since 2015. The frescoes will soon be accompanied by a more expansive, experiential exhibit in HAM’s new Tove Jansson Gallery opening early in 2026. 

The new gallery is designed to celebrate Jansson’s artistic legacy and foster recognition of her lasting contribution to art history and Finnish society. It will provide fresh perspectives on her art and career as an internationally acclaimed artist with a strong Helsinki identity. The themes of the temporary exhibitions will change about once a year. The first – Courage – will be inspired by the book Comet in Moominland. 

“In everything she did, Tove Jansson was bold and fearlessly true to herself and her dreams, undaunted by the norms and expectations of the day. We at HAM Helsinki Art Museum regard Jansson’s legacy as a cornerstone of our museum’s identity. HAM is an adventurous museum that believes in the experiential power of art, and public art plays a very special role in our work. Working together with Tove Jansson’s estate and Moomin Characters, we are embarking on a joint academic expedition that will go deeper than ever before into Jansson’s artistry and the significance of her work to contemporary audiences,” says HAM Director Arja Miller.  

The Tove Jansson - Paradise exhibition and the Tove Jansson Gallery are produced in collaboration with Moomin Characters.