FINLAND’S CENTRAL post office is releasing a range of stamps featuring gay erotica, the work of a noted Finnish artist.
Touko Laaksonen – widely known as Tom Of Finland – produced thousands of drawings and helped shape masculine gay culture in the second half of the twentieth century.
His work often featured strong, powerful men, frequently in uniformed settings. Finland’s postal service Posti said the drawings chosen for stamps “represent strong and confident male figures typical of their designer.”
The graphic artist who selected the drawings, Timo Berry, added:
The sheet portrays a sensual life force and being proud of oneself. There is never too much of that in this northern country.
Tom of Finland died in 1991, aged 71. Since his death, the Museum of Modern Art in New York has acquired several of his drawings.
His work remains controversial in some parts of the gay community and beyond. Some critics maintain that it upholds stereotypes about gay culture in a way that is unhelpful.
However, others have argued that the work in fact subverts these stereotypes.
Here’s the full sheet of stamps that collectors can purchase:
