Tom of Finland

Tom of Finland’s bold artwork gave queer creatives that followed freedom to express their sexuality like never before. Curator Richard Villani asked today’s contemporary artists to reveal how Tom’s work ignited their imaginations

Stuart Sandford

I first came across Tom’s work while I was studying for my fine art degree. What I loved about it then is what I love about it now: the fierce, non-apologetic celebration of gay love, sex and sexuality — something that was sadly missing when I was growing up — and I’ve always tried to imbue that within my own work.

L_R: TOM’S PISSOIR (NIGHT) 2014 

 1421 LAVETA TERRACE 2014 

 DURK IN ALL HIS LEATHERS 2014

Miguel Angel Reyes

I have always seen Tom’s drawings as a unique use of proportions and technical mastery. All artists put their own personality into their work. In Tom’s art, I can see how he projected his sense of humour, sexuality, pleasure and fantasy.

I had a friend years ago who would try to steer me away from doing gay erotic art, and I always responded that artists needed to produce work which reveals who they are.

I had shown my work at the Tom of Finland Art Fair for years, but I had not created personal erotic work. My only drawings were done for a few porn magazines, and even then, the illustrations could not show full sexual contact. It has been only in the past ten years that I have dived into the world of proper erotica.