A recent visit

Tala Mateo (L) and Irene Soriano (R)

“I am continuously amazed at how the universe listens to my mini requests and sometimes even delivers within seconds. [My friend] Tala Mateo has been listening to my recently-common refrain about how I miss hanging out with Los Angeles artists. The universe listened by bringing me what I wanted!

“It’s Frieze week in Los Angeles, and an invite from Tom of Finland Foundation was not to be ignored. Off we went, and the experience did not disappoint. I finally visited all the rooms in TOM House, and what a spectacular, creative, and sexy space: the Library, Tom’s original bedroom, the Artist-in-Residence rooms, and the fantastic resident-artists’ works, including French ceramicist and photographer FCK–Frédérick Gautier and Rev. Steven Johnson Leyba.

“So nice to see so many people attend the open house and discover new works. I like the purpose of Tom of Finland Foundation: ‘to offer a safe haven for all Queer erotic art in response to rampant discrimination against art that portrayed sexual behavior or generated a sexual response.’ Important work. I have a great admiration for ToFF President & Cofounder Durk Dehner, who opened the space in the garden behind TOM House for a Filipinx-American art retreat Tala and I put together for Queer artists a few years ago; there was no hesitation, just an openness to share resources to nurture a small, unfunded, artistic endeavor.

“The open house was beautiful, and I loved that there were literary readings also being offered! I was introduced for the first time to the work of Brontez Purnell, and what an amazing writer–just really, really good writing–deep, moving, sexy, hilarious and unapologetic. I was so impressed, and I cannot wait to dig into the book that I purchased after his fantastic reading.” – Irene Soriano

Published: 17th April 2024

Categorised in: Events, News, Tell All Yer Friends!