At the age of 19, he started his studies in advertising while drawing erotic images in his spare time. Touko Valio Laaksonen was born in 1920 in Kaarina, near Turku in Finland. His art revolves around strong gay masculinity, with men often clad in leather or uniform having joyful sex. He was friends with Robert Mapplethorpe, and Andy Warhol visited his first exhibition in a boot shop in 1978. Meet Tom of Finland, the artist that inspired the looks of Freddie Mercury and the Village People.
