Sadao Hasegawa paintings & drawings

Sadao Hasegawa is another name in a long list of iconic creators who have shaped and changed their culture. His name most often shows up in lists, tied to two others. First, Tom of Finland remains one of the most well-known figures in queer art history. He is described as the "most influential creator of gay pornographic images." The other name tied to Sadao's is Yukio Mashima, an author equally controversial as he was iconic. It is primarily due to Hasegawa's admiration that his name is linked to Mashima's, as well as their similar deaths.

Born in 1945 in Japan, his childhood is remembered as a rather introspective one. He began his pursuit of art fairly young. The work of Tom of Finland has a clear impact on the way Hasegawa portrayed men in his artwork starting out. However, over time the European influences became eclipsed by Indian, Thia, Tibetan Buddhist, African, Japanese, and Balinese. As he began travelling in his twenties, Hasegawa's art was heavily influenced by the cultures he encountered, and his pieces would reflect this.

His work mainly focused on erotic paintings of men, including elements from a wide variety of kinks. Hasegawa was mainly published in queer publications and soon garnered a reputation for his skill and ability to mesh so many different cultures and practices within his paintings. However, while he could gain a level of success within Japan, he adamantly refused all offers to distribute his work internationally.

In addition to his early death, it is this that has limited his legacy throughout the global queer community. Though he and his work are by no means obscure, his name is not brought up with the regularity of his peers, such as Tom of Finland.