Tom of Finland stamps launched to commemorate ‘proud homoeroticism’ of gay artist
A range of Tom of Finland stamps is set to launch in Finland to commemorate the “proud homoeroticism” of the influential gay artist.
Itella, the Finnish postal service has announced that it is to launch the line of stamps featuring the art of Tom of Finland, who inspired the look of Freddie Mercury and the Village People.
The artist, whose real name is Touko Laaksonen, remains an influential figure in the gay art scene.
A statement from Itella read: “His emphatically masculine homoerotic drawings have attained iconic status in their genre and had an influence on, for instance, pop culture and fashion. In his works, Tom of Finland utilized the self-irony and humor typical of subcultures. … The drawings on the stamp sheet represent strong and confident male figures typical of their designer.”
Stamps in the range will be available in Finland this autumn.
The film marks the first time the Tom of Finland Foundation has approved a motion picture about the artist, who has been called the “most influential creator of gay pornographic images.”
