My most recent and most exciting erotic art discovery comes from the quirky and depressed depths of Tumblr; a microblogging social media platform that is nowadays seen both as niche, chaotic and creative, and also dead or irrelevant. For some users, Tumblr offers a freedom from the polished glamour of platforms such as Instagram. In this sense, Tumblr is a place for progressive thoughts and experimentation. There are so many strange, unique content on Tumblr that one can safely say that it is a platform where one can be oneself.
Fig.1 Dominic Slate, send me a selfie before going to bed, January 2026
Fig.2 Dominic Slate, Muse, from the series Confessions, 2026, oil pastel
Fig.3 Dominic Slate
Diary of a Very Obscure Painter
One such artist who chose Tumblr as the place to share his erotic artworks is a Greek painter who chooses to go by the name Dominic Slate and he titled his Tumblr blog as “Diary of a Dirty Old Painter”, most recently updated to “Diary of a Very Obscure Painter”; I must say that I prefer the former title, but alas. There is a mysterious vibe to Slate and his art instantly caught me off guards with its directness, sincerity and vibrancy. When I asked him about his real name he simply said: “As far as this art is concerned my name is Dominic Slate. This art only exists in Tumblr. No one I know in my life has seen it or knows about it. This anonymity gives me freedom. Maybe one day I will do a big reveal or leave it floating in the tumblr non- space and the dusty shelves of my studio..” This anonymity gives him freedom, indeed, but it also gives that touch of mystery that makes the audience even more intrigued, even more curious to unravel the secrets behind his art. Slate’s art is available exclusively on Tumblr, and most people don’t have Tumblr accounts, so I thought it an excellent opportunity to share it with a wider audience here on Shunga Gallery.
Fig.4 Dominic Slate
Fig.5 Dominic Slate
Fig.6 Dominic Slate, love seeing you dj
Bruised Blue
What instantly drew me to Slate’s oil paintings is his distinct Expressionist style which manifests itself in the use of thick, rough, aggressively applied coats of paint, the unnatural colour, such as pink, red, violet, green and bruised blue, on the faces and bodies of these women, and lastly in the aim to capture the psychological truth and not the physical reality or some aesthetic, beauty ideal. The majority of Slate’s paintings are actually portraits of nude young women where their bosom is exposed and emphasised. Very often Slate emphasises their nipples and their cheeks with the same shade of pink and red and it is delicious.
In the extended Premium edition of the article you can discover more about the author's personal favorite work, the mysterious little captions; titles or short poems in the paintings, the recurring motifs in Slate's paintings, and more reviews of individual pieces, and MUCH more...!!
Click HERE for the joy and bitterness of overindulgence in the paintings of Oh de Laval
Let us know your thoughts about Slate's work in the comment box below...!!
