Date/Time
Date(s) - 11th Sep 2024 - 10th Nov 2024
12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Location
Queer Britain

Categories

• Exhibitions - TOM

VENUE INFORMATION

VIEWING HOURS: WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY FROM 12-6P

MUSEUM LATE: THURSDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER FROM 6-9P
WITH A SPECIAL WELCOME FROM DURK DEHNER

[Free, no booking needed]

The UK’s first Queer museum, Queer Britain, has a new Tom of Finland exhibition.

Durk and Tom at TOM House, c. 1980s

TOM House: At Home with Tom of Finland is a display that explores Tom of Finland’s home in Los Angeles. Featuring TOM House the VR Experience, a documentary virtual reality piece that immerses you into Tom’s LA residence, where he lived during the last decade of his life.

TOM House the VR Experience: Panorama of Tom’s Room. © Donkey Hotel 2023

The VR-piece features three thematic tours around the House guided by Durk Dehner, President & Cofounder of Tom of Finland Foundation, and a virtual art gallery, which presents Tom’s work like never experienced before.

The leaflets are courtesy of Tom of Finland Foundation which was established to preserve his work and to promote his art. Today, Tom of Finland’s art is celebrated worldwide, both for its artistic importance and its impact on LGBTQ+ rights and visibility.

INSTALLATION PHOTOS COURTESY QUEER BRITAIN

JACK SHEAR Tom at TOM House, Los Angeles, 1984

Tom of Finland was a Finnish artist renowned for his influential homoerotic art. His work, characterised by masculine figures often dressed in leather played a pivotal role in shaping modern Gay identity and culture.

Tom of Finland’s illustrations began gaining popularity in the 1950s, a time when homosexual imagery was largely taboo and often illegal. His art was groundbreaking for its bold depictions of Gay sexuality and for its celebration of male beauty.

Over the decades, Tom of Finland’s art evolved from underground erotica to respected art, influencing both LGBTQ+ communities and mainstream popular culture. His legacy extends beyond art; he is credited with helping to empower Gay men by providing positive, self-assured representations of male homosexuality.

SPECIAL VIEW PHOTOS COURTESY QUEER BRITAIN

VIDEO FROM QUEER BRITAIN

Part of the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival 2024, Art Speaks Through Us.