Shibari Through the Male Gays

This lecture examines the prevalent rope aesthetics of the internet and asks what happens when we look at them through the lens of gay erotic imagination. It centers on the themes of stoicism and struggle that shape homoerotic art, from the disciplined fantasies of Tom of Finland, to the tortured ecstasy of Saint Sebastian, to the raw intimacy of the locker room, and even the bound beast final boss of a video game. Using the perspective of gay leathermen as a point of reference, the class highlights aesthetic gaps that can inform and enrich everyone’s practice, regardless of gender or orientation, and expand the visual spectrum of what we present online. Participants are invited to explore how desire, power, and beauty take shape across different cultures of kink. The goal is not to critique but to expand, applying the depth of shibari lineage technique to new emotional registers and creating work that feels more personal and alive.