TOM OF FINLAND: Rebel of Pleasure

“I know my little 'dirty drawings' are never going to hang in the main salons of the Louvre, but it would be nice if - I would like to say 'when,' but I better say 'if' - our world learns to accept all the different ways of loving. Then maybe I could have a place in one of the smaller side rooms.”

– Tom of Finland


In honor of Tom Of Finland Foundation’s 101st birthday and Fotografiska exhibit, showcasing ​​never-before-exhibited portraits captured as source material for Tom of Finland’s framed drawings, we are turning the spotlight onto Tom of Finland. A fragrance that is one of the most Avante-Garde, provocative, and rebellious works of art.

 
Tom of Finland (born Tuoko Laaksonen, 1920–1991) was a cultural icon and ground-breaking artist who, through his work, celebrated the male figure and masculinity during a time when being homosexual would make a target of violence, bullying, and land you in prison. In his heroic homoerotic drawings – starring hyper-masculine hunks, clad in uniforms or leather gear, all bulging muscles and members – he fearlessly confronted a system that denied freedom, legality, and fundamental rights to the gay community.

Graphite on paper preparatory drawings (c. 1973-1987).  

Tom of Finland Permanent Collection

He was responsible for creating the muscled, mustachioed gay archetype of the 1960s and ’70s and rose to cult status in the international queer community and beyond, carving out a strong, assertive, and confident representation of a gay man.

“My whole life long I have done nothing but interpret my dreams of ultimate masculinity, and draw them,” said Tom of Finland.

 
The fragrance Tom of Finland by Etat Libre D’Orange follows in these defiant olfactory footsteps with notes of fresh leather mingling with lemon and aldehydes, the quintessential masculine blend of a lumberjack forest of birch and pine. Wrap the whole composition into a suede corset with a touch of vetiver, nutty tonka bean, sexual trail of dirty musk, and animalic ambergris, and the result is Tom of Finland, he is beyond sexuality - he is sex, in all its fullness and magnitude, open and erect.

Tom of Finland Foundation’s original goal was to preserve the artist’s vast catalog of work, but it has evolved exponentially into a movement. We at Etat Libre d’Orange have always stood for inclusivity, rebellion, and creativity, and we look forward to having our fragrance continue its mission for generations to come.
P.S. There are two upcoming events, Pleasure Park, Exposed exhibit of erotic art in Los Angelos, and Palm Springs Leather Pride XXVI. Get ready to unleash the leather-clad fun.
Tom of Finland

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