ERWIN OLAF

Erwin Olaf (July 2, 1959, Hilversum / Netherlands – September 20, 2023, Groningen / Netherlands), was one of the most famous contemporary photographers, emerged on the international art scene with his Chessmen series, which won the Young European Photographer of the Year award in 1988.

Beginning his artistic career as a photojournalist documenting nightlife in the 1980s, Olaf has increasingly sought out and defined his subjects, often explored in series of black-and-white (Squares, Chessmen, Blacks) and color (Mind of Their Own, Rain Hope, Grief, Dusk, Dawn) works, including his latest works-Berlin, Shanghai and Palm Springs.

In most of Olaf’s works, the image exudes ambiguity and a sense of nostalgic frustration that clash with the painstaking pursuit of perfection in the details of representation, once again confirming the artistry of reconstructing the context and scene down to the smallest detail, with an almost cinematic attention to makeup, hairstyle, clothing, furniture and ambient light.

His works can be found in the world’s most important collections, including at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, and the Central Museum in Utrecht, among others.

Portrait 22, from the series “Berlin”

2012
digital C-print print
cm 75 x 56 ca.