Erwin Olaf is a Dutch photographer known for his specific portraiture. Olaf stages his large-scale images in a cinematic fashion with orchestrated sets and dramatic lighting. His practice often explores issues of historical and contemporary importance. Born in 1959 in Hilversum, Netherlands, the artist works between the worlds of both fine and commercial photography as well as photojournalism. Starting his career as a photojournalist documenting the nightlife of the 1980s, Olaf increasingly sought and defined his own subjects, often explored in series of works in black and white (Squares, Chessmen, and Blacks) and color (Mind of Their Own, Rain, Hope, Grief, Dusk, and Dawn).
