Dutch photographer.
Born 2 July 1959 in Hilversum, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands.
Died 20 September 2023 in Groningen, The Netherlands.
Erwin Olaf captured the diversity and beauty of people and society through his staged images. He started his career as a photojournalist documenting the gay liberation movement in the 1980s, then moved on to create theatrical and provocative portraits of countercultural figures, often using costumes and sets1. He also worked as a commercial photographer for fashion brands and companies, and was commissioned by the Dutch royal family to take their official portraits2. He was influenced by artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Norman Rockwell and Lucien Visconti, and developed a style of exquisite precision and polish.
He held numerous exhibitions not only in Holland but also globally. He was the recipient of several esteemed awards, with the most recent being “The Johannes Vermeer Award 2011, Dutch National State Prize For The Arts”.