In our world, it is probably difficult to find a person who does not know who the Moomins are. This is a very well-known brand for a long time, the income from which is currently 450 million dollars a year. And the fame of their creator has long spread beyond the borders of her homeland. However, Tove Jansson is not only the most famous Finnish writer. She achieved success and fame as an illustrator, graphic artist, costume designer, playwright, poet and comic book author.
Family
Tuva was born on August 9, 1914 in Helsinki. Her parents were the Finnish sculptor Viktor Jansson and the Swedish artist Signe Hammarsten-Jansson. Due to unstable incomes, Jansson's life was rather modest. But thanks to Signa, the house always had a warm and cozy atmosphere. In childhood, Tuva was almost inseparable from her mother.
Relations with her father were far from as peaceful as with her mother. Victor and Tove constantly argued, because they had different political and public views, and often they were not able to accept and understand each other's values. Despite this, communication between them was never interrupted.
Drawing
Growing up in a creative family, the girl learned to draw in early childhood, and her drawing first appeared in print when she was only 14 years old. A year later, several of her other publications appeared, and from the late 1930s she was appointed chief illustrator of Garm magazine. To become a professional artist, Jansson first studied in Stockholm, and then in Finland.
In the mid-1930s, Tuve became a recognized Finnish artist and even participated in exhibitions organized by the Academy of Arts. It seemed that she was waiting for an amazing career, but all the plans were changed by the outbreak of war.
The constant occupation of Tuva during the war was illustration. Between 1941 and 1942, at the request of the Center for Art Cards, she was engaged in the manufacture of cards for Christmas, New Year and Easter. In 1943, she was invited to hold her first solo exhibition in a prestigious art salon.
Literature
The years of the war greatly affected the population of Finland, the future looked bleak and hopeless, and it was during this difficult period that Tove created the Moomins, behind which, as a writer, she hid from the horrors of the real world. When she was little, arguing with her brother about Immanuel Kant, she depicted the first Moomin-like figure - it was a drawing in the bathroom of a country house. Thanks to the help of her fiance Athos Virtanen, who became the prototype of Snusmumrik and Muskrat, she published her first book on the adventures of the Moomin.
The book "Little Trolls and the Great Flood" was published in 1945, it immediately became the cause of debate about what future citizens of their country can teach and what example drink palm wine drinkers, smokers and even cursing characters give. The writer has repeatedly explained that her books are designed to entertain, not teach.
The war was reflected in the second book, The Arrival of the Comet, which was completed in 1945. In The Wizard's Hat, which was published in 1948, the heroes were no longer threatened by any catastrophe, and they did not need to flee. New characters appeared here: Tofsla, Bifsla and Morra.
At that time, when “The Wizard's Hat” was written, the engagement with Atos was canceled, and a new love appeared in Tove’s life: theater director Vivika Bandler, who became the prototype of Bifsle.
At that time, same-sex relations in Finland were severely censored by society and were prohibited by law, therefore, in the book of Tofsla, the image written with Tove and Bifsa speak in a strange language and always go with a suitcase in which they store a huge ruby, which has become a symbol of love between two women. Morra, on the other hand, became a symbol of the law threatening them, which could get to the little Tofsla and Biefsla and steal the ruby.
Creative success
Despite successful literary activity, Tuva believed that she was primarily an artist. In 1947, she painted the dining room at the Helsinki City Hall. Having finished work for the municipality, she took up preparations for the first Moomin show at the Swedish Theater in Helsinki, after the success of which in 1949 an entire industry dedicated to the Moomin world began to develop.
Touva hardly experienced sudden fame, but her financial situation remained unstable, so for the sake of constant income, she agreed to create comic books about mumi-trolls for "Evening News".
When the 7-year contract came to an end, Tove left the editorial office. She needed a break from the Moomins. Just at that time, she met Tuulikki Pietilya, who inspired new stories about the Moomins. Then a new character appeared, Too-Tiki, written from Tuulikki.
New books
Tove again decided to take up painting, although it was impossible to completely devote the seed to this lesson because of the need to draw illustrations and write new stories about Moomin trolls. In 1958, her father died. A kind of obituary for him was the book "Moomin and the Sea." After some time, her first book for adults entitled “The Sculptor's Daughter” was released.
In 1970, the mother of Tuva was gone. The book “At the End of November” was the last story about the amazing world of Moomins and farewell to her mother.
After this sad event, Tuve took a break in all works except painting, and together with Tuulikki moved to the island of Klovharun. But the popularity of the Moomins haunted her. Together, women traveled to different countries, where Jansson was accepted as a real star. The stories about the Moomins began to adapt for radio, television and the first series. Jansson personally answered all the letters from the fans.
last years of life
Tove continued to create until the last days of her life. In 1998, a collection of her short stories “Messages. 1977-1997. " At that time she was already 84 years old, of which 70 she devoted to creativity. After some time, she was diagnosed with cancer. But even she perceived death as a "funny surprise."
The multifaceted personality of this writer, who dreamed of becoming just an artist, continues to captivate people to this day. In her hometown, a museum and park dedicated to the Moomins were created. Her paintings are exhibited in museums in the Finnish capital, and some schools, gardens and churches in Helsinki are decorated with frescoes.