Artist-in-Residence FCK–Frédérick Gautier invites participants to create everyday ceramic objects infused with erotic themes and inspired by the artistic vision of the Tom of Finland universe. No prior ceramics skills are required!

"My documentation of the street hustlers on Santa Monica Boulevard began as an obsession around 1990. The last era of male sex workers before the Internet centered around in-person communication that was raw and lustful, yet surprisingly innocent."

Join VENIA Studio and Tom of Finland Foundation for a celebration of the upcoming exhibition by ToFF Artist-in-Residence FCK–Frédérick Gautier.

LA Leather Pride is a series of events dedicated to promotion and celebration of the leather and fetish community leading up to The Mr. Los Angeles Leather Contest which is now in its 24th year! Tom of Finland Foundation has been named charity partner of LA Leather Pride.

“Just in time for the next stage in the struggles of our collective human evolution in the City of Los Angeles – as what could be a new ground zero of cultural, political and climate catastrophes, both real and imagined.”

Enter the realm of fantasy where you can unleash your inner bad boy. This sexy night of leather and gear features DJs Mohammad and Nina Flowers. A portion of the proceeds benefit Tom of Finland Foundation.

Gautier has an almost fetishistic relationship with the ceramics he creates. His creations are resolutely simple; they are containers. They are not only aimed at ornamentation, but are both functional, imposing, robust and easy to handle.

“I was born in L.A. and am creating a series of paintings, spoken-word poems and writing a chapter in my 3rd memoir while I am an Artist-in-Residence documenting my time at the Foundation in writings and paintings all titled L.A. XXX SEXUAL COLLAPSE, An Erotic Apocalypse.”

Join Rick Castro for February’s Photographer’s Eye program at the Los Angeles Public Library. Castro will present a selection of images from his new book S/M Blvd: Street Hustler Photographs and Remembrances 1986-1999 (All Night Menu Books, 2023). Castro will also share his memories of the brief times spent with the guys he met while cruising up and down “the loop” in his 1967 Mercury Cougar.

Unsure of what to get your sweetie? Inez and Vinoodh’s DoubleDutch campaign entitled The Kiss allows you to send someone you care about a digital work of art while donating to a cause that matters to you. What’s sweeter than giving to your TOM’s man and to TOM’s Foundation at the same time? Heck, it's always ValenTOM's Day!

G-men was a Japanese based Gay lifestyle magazine that ran from April 1995 to February 2016. Each issue stocked their hundreds of pages with full color erotic imagery and photography, Bara and Yaoi serialized manga, ads for shopping, Gay bars, spas, cafes and restaurants, fiction literature, and classified personal ads, etc. Some issues even went over 500 pages! 

Paint mixes with collage, beadwork, and DNA making bold, often controversial contemporary statements about the world we live in and constantly questioning the very nature of so called “civilization”, society and Art. He is also a folk hero in much of the Native American, occult and underground art communities for his transgressive performance art, spoken word.

Blue’s intimate marker and ink portraits are made from live models and reference photos sent by his followers on social media. This collaborative approach allows for the model to explore and express himself in the process. Through accepting artistic gaze and playful, loose expression, Blue aims to present tools for building a sex-positive and confident body image.

Gautier is a ceramicist whose work has been seen in such publications as Elle Decoration, Marie Claire Maison, and more. No experience or materials are necessary. After the workshop, Gautier will glaze and fire the ceramics made during the workshop, which will be shown as part of Gautier’s final exhibition at TOM House in April.

FCK–Frédérick Gautier is a ceramic artist who touches on sculpture and erotic photography with a brutalist aesthetic, defying standards and dissolving boundaries. His work deliberately confuses the boundaries between what is considered provocative, voyeurism and art.

Thank you to everyone who donated, showed up, shared and supported the event. It was great fun, and the funds raised have been donated to the Regiment Fund for TOM House, headquarters of Tom of Finland Foundation. Special thanks to those who made this event possible. -Doug Milliken, Mr. Regiment 2024