The Tom of Finland Foundation and RoB Gallery present the erotic exhibition ICONS OF DESIRE at Galerie de Schans in Amsterdam, during Pride Amsterdam 2026 & WorldPride 2026.
The exhibition revives a historic collaboration. From the 1970s through the early 1980s, RoB Gallery for Male Erotic Art (Amsterdam & New York), founded by Robert Meijer, served as the worldwide distributor of the work of Touko Valio Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland. From Amsterdam, RoB played a crucial role in establishing homoerotic art internationally as a legitimate art form at a time when queer eroticism was still widely censored and marginalised.
The Exhibition
With ICONS OF DESIRE, these worlds return to Amsterdam together once again. The exhibition features original illustrations by Tom of Finland alongside works by artists such as Nigel Kent and Bastille, combined with archival material and contemporary works by a new generation of artists inspired by the visual legacy of Tom of Finland and RoB.
The exhibition tells not only a story of queer desire, fetish culture, and sexual freedom, but also one of cultural emancipation. Through the decades-long efforts of Robert Meijer, erotic art became visible within galleries, collections, and the international art world as ‘fine art’, rather than being confined to the underground or dismissed as forbidden material.
Beyond celebrating queer history, ICONS OF DESIRE also aims to introduce a new generation of visitors to this artistic legacy. Many of the works presented in the exhibition have not been shown in Amsterdam or elsewhere in the Netherlands since the closure of RoB Gallery in the 1990s. The exhibition invites both the fetish community and the broader audience of Pride Amsterdam and WorldPride to engage with the artistic, historical, and social significance of erotic art.
The exhibition is curated by Richard Villani (Tom of Finland Foundation) and Izaäk Joziasse (RoB Amsterdam), in collaboration with Galerie de Schans. Works from both the archives of RoB Amsterdam and the Tom of Finland Foundation are included in the exhibition.
Tom of Finland Foundation & RoB Gallery
Tom of Finland
Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, transformed queer erotic art through his iconic depictions of confident, hypermasculine men. His work challenged shame and censorship, becoming a lasting symbol of queer freedom and desire.
RoB Gallery
Robert Meijer was a Dutch leather designer, gallerist, and cultural pioneer who helped bring male erotic art into public view through RoB Amsterdam and the RoB Gallery. His work shaped Amsterdam into an international center for queer fetish culture and artistic visibility.
Galerie de Schans
Galerie De Schans has become a platform for emerging artists, performances, and experimental cultural projects in Amsterdam.
Based in the Warmoesstraat, the space has fostered an alternative, community-driven environment where art is embedded in everyday social life rather than institutional or commercial settings.
Opening hours
July 25 - August 15
Open daily: 12:00 -19:00
ICONS OF DESIRE is a collaboration between:
RoB Gallery, Tom of Finland Foundation & Galerie de Schans.
An official event for Fetish@Pride.Amsterdam, a sub-devision of Amsterdam Pride.
