I met Tom of Finland Foundation board members ROBERT KNOX HAYES and BROOKE WISE at the Tom House in Los Angeles in February 2026, while I was there for the Foundation’s artist-in-residence exhibition, FXLK PLAY. Durk Dehner, the foundation’s co-founder, had vacated his private room specifically for Robert to ensure he felt comfortable. Robert and I hit it off and cooked together for everyone staying at the house. Brooke—a beautiful young woman and Instagram fashion influencer—visited with another young woman and was given a friendly private tour of the room where Tom of Finland had lived and worked. Although I found it odd that neither of them attended the major opening of our exhibition at Plummer Park in West Hollywood, especially Brooke, who was introduced to me by Sharp as the Foundation's new curator, I didn't give it much further thought.
I was all the more shocked to learn that, shortly thereafter, the board of trustees dismissed virtually all staff, removed the safe containing Tom of Finland’s collected works from Tom House and took it to an unknown location, terminated all of the Foundation’s programs, and now communicates with former director Durk Dehner solely through lawyers.To me, this looks exactly like a hostile takeover.
I DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL OF THE CURRENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
Berlin
DE