Landmark U.S. Exhibition Celebrates Tove Jansson and the Moomins

Tove Jansson and the Moomins: The Door Is Always Open will be the first U.S. exhibition dedicated to the Finnish artist and writer when it opens on June 28 at the Brooklyn Public Library.

Running through September 30 at the library’s Central Branch and across the borough via satellite programming, the exhibition celebrates Jansson's life and her Moomin creations since she wrote the first Moomin story The Moomins and the Great Flood in 1945. Jansson went on to publish eight more books in the series, in addition to four picture books, and Moomin books are now published in more than 60 different languages.

Tove Jansson and the Moomins will include immersive installations, archival materials, multilingual editions of her books, and public programming for all ages. The Library’s Grand Lobby will focus on the first Moomin story and trace the global reach of the Moomins through original publications from the 1940s onward, alongside rare artifacts from early theatrical productions, television adaptations, and musical interpretations that brought Moominvalley to life. 


The exhibition will also introduce visitors to lesser-known aspects of Tove Jansson’s life including her early career in political satire, years as a painter and novelist, seaside summers in the Finnish archipelago, and her identity as a queer woman working in postwar Europe. Items on display include personal letters from Jansson (1914–2001) and her New York-based photographer friend Eva Konikoff as well as the American edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll featuring Jansson’s illustrations. 

“As we mark the 80th anniversary of the Moomins, it’s especially meaningful to see Tove’s work celebrated in a space that shares her core values of curiosity, inclusion, and a belief in the power of storytelling to build bridges between people,"  said James Zambra, Creative Director of Moomin Characters and Thomas Zambra, Director of Business Development, and relatives of Tove Jansson. "We’re honored to introduce U.S. audiences to this deeply personal and multifaceted exhibition that not only explores the world of the Moomins but also shines a light on Tove’s originality and remarkable life as a writer, artist, and pioneer.”