In 1978, Dutch leather designer and cultural pioneer Rob Meijer invited Tom of Finland to exhibit his work in Amsterdam. What began as a single exhibition grew into RoB Gallery; a groundbreaking platform for Male Erotic Art that would help shape queer visual culture for decades to come.

Operating alongside RoB Amsterdam, the gallery became one of the first dedicated spaces in Europe to present and promote homoerotic and fetish-inspired art at a time when few institutions would. Through exhibitions, publications, and international distribution, RoB Gallery connected artists, collectors, and communities across Europe and the United States.

Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, RoB Gallery Amsterdam and New York exhibited influential artists including Tom of Finland, Bill Ward, Nigel Kent, and others whose work explored desire, identity, masculinity, fantasy, and freedom. The gallery also played a key role in bringing Tom of Finland's work to an international audience, serving as a major distributor during a formative period in his career.