was a Japanese

homoerotic Homoeroticism is sexual attraction between members of the same sex, either male–male or female–female. The concept differs from the concept of homosexuality: it refers specifically to the desire itself, which can be temporary, whereas "homose ...

fetish artist A fetish artist is a sculptor, illustrator, or painter who makes fetish art: art related to sexual fetishism and fetishistic acts. Fetish artists, 1930s–1990s * Charles Guyette * John Willie * Eric Stanton (a.k.a. John Bee, Savage, Stanten) * ...

. Funayama, along with

Go Mishima Tsuyoshi Yoshida (1924 – January 5, 1988), known by the pen name , was a Japanese homoerotic fetish artist and founder of the magazine . He is noted for his illustrations of " macho-type" men, often with yakuza-inspired ''irezumi'' tattoos. Mis ...

Tatsuji Okawa was a Japanese homoerotic fetish artist. Tatsuji, along with Go Mishima, Sanshi Funayama, and Go Hirano, is regarded by artist and historian Gengoroh Tagame as a central figure in the first wave of contemporary gay artists in Japan. Biography ...

, and Go Hirano, is regarded by artist and historian

Gengoroh Tagame is a pseudonymous Japanese manga artist. Regarded as the most influential creator in the gay manga genre, he has produced over 20 books in four languages over the course of his nearly four decade-long career. Tagame began contributing manga ...

as a central figure in the first wave of contemporary gay artists in Japan.

Biography

Funayama's artwork first appeared in the early 1960s in , a fetish magazine that published gay content alongside straight and lesbian content. He later contributed to ''Bara'', a private circulation gay magazine, and '' Barazoku'', the first commercially published gay magazine in Japan. From the 1970s until the late 1990s, Funayama disappeared from public life, and did not publish or circulate art for over three decades. In 1999, he resurfaced to submit two illustrations to the magazine '' G-men'', with a promise to submit additional works. No further works were submitted by Funayama which, combined with his presumed advanced age, led his contemporaries to assume he had died. Little is known about Funayama's private life. Married with a daughter, Funayama worked as a

police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

; he drew while on night shift, and kept his illustrations in his work locker. He was an acquaintance of the writer Yukio Mishima, who would visit Funayama while in Kansai.

Style and Impact

Funayama is noted for his depictions of "macho-type" men, often in extreme scenarios involving

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...

, torture, and graphic violence. Police officers appear frequently in his work. Funayama is a favorite artist of

, who has praised Funayama's works as "one of the peaks in gay erotic art."

References

20th-century Japanese painters Fetish artists Gay male BDSM Japanese erotic artists Japanese gay artists Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain {{Japan-artist-stub

Biography

Style and Impact

See also

References