Tom of Finland, the Finnish artist famous for his homoerotic illustrations of hypermasculine men, died in 1991. But his legacy lives on — through his art, which adorns queer establishments around the world, as well as through the Tom of Finland Foundation. In addition to preserving Tom’s oeuvre, ToFF works to carry on Tom’s spirit by protecting and fostering erotic artworks and the artists who create them.
For over 15 years, the foundation has hosted an artist-in-residence program. Each year, several artists are invited to stay at the TOM House in Los Angeles — where Tom himself once lived and worked — for three months to learn from ToFF’s extensive archives as well as one another. At the end of their term, they present artistic projects from their stay to
