Tove Jansson: Frescoes and Hobgoblin’s Hat

The frescoes Party in the Countryside and Party in the City will remain on display at HAM, continuing to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Moomins, and will now be joined by a unique loan from city of Pori. Arriving at the exhibition is Tove Jansson’s last monumental artwork, painted in 1984 for the Taikurinhattu kindergarten in Pori. This three-part mural depicts the Moomins adventuring through the spring, summer, and autumn landscapes of Moominvalley. The kindergarten was named after Tove Jansson’s book Taikurin hattu (which translates to Hobgoblin’s Hat). The English name for the book is Finn Family Moomintroll (known as The Happy Moomins in the US).

From the Taikurinhattu kindergarten, HAM has also received mixed-media works depicting characters from Moominvalley, Tuulikki Pietilä‘s cat-themed graphic works, and a scale model of the kindergarten and the adjacent Himmeli retirement home. All loans will return to their original locations once the kindergarten’s renovation is complete.

Through the Hobgoblin’s Hat installation, HAM encourages families with children to spend time with art. In the art huts within the exhibition space, visitors can engage with the art through touch and by experiencing the specially created soundscapes. Playing is also allowed!

Tove Jansson: Frescoes and The Hobgoblin’s Hat has been curated by HAM’s curator Heli Harni, specialist (audience engagement) Lotta Kjellberg, and curator (audience engagement and learning) Sonja Taimiaho.

Tove Jansson: Frescoes and The Hobgoblin’s Hat is also linked with the Free Art School’s anniversary exhibition, Free 90. The Free 90 exhibition showcases the school’s history and its significance in the development of Finnish painting and modernism. Tove Jansson studied at the Free Art School from 1937 to 1944, and before that, she had already participated in croquis evenings. Some of her croquis drawings are on display at HAM as part of the Free 90 exhibition.

The works will be on display until the new Tove Jansson Gallery opens at the beginning of 2026. The gallery is designed to celebrate Jansson’s artistic legacy and enhance her lasting contribution to art history and Finnish society. It will showcase her art in a versatile way and provide new perspectives on Jansson as both a Helsinki-based and internationally renowned artist.

Artworks in the exhibition

Read more about Tove Jansson at tovejansson.com.