Erwin Olaf: The Biography

Erwin Olaf, renowned for his bold photography, evolved from avant-gardist to celebrated artist. This biography, based on his archives, honors his legacy and queer advocacy. Publication accompanying the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam exhibition of the same name, running from 10 October 2025 to February 2026.

It was a shock when Erwin Olaf passed away unexpectedly in 2023 while recovering from a lung transplant. In the 1980s and 1990s, he gained fame for his extravagant, sometimes sexually explicit photographs. Inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe, Hans van Manen, and Paul Blanca, he found his muses in Amsterdam’s Club RoXY. Over time, he evolved from a rebellious avant-gardist into a celebrated artist, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to his exhibitions, from The Hague to Shanghai. Throughout his career, he remained true to himself, creating his own universe while tirelessly advocating for the rights of the queer community.

A progressive lung disease prompted Erwin Olaf to put his legacy in order and contribute to this book about his life and work. ＂I don’t need to come out looking great. But I do want it to be accurate.＂ Mischa Cohen followed Erwin Olaf for years, gaining access to his archives and his life. He spoke with lovers, friends, colleagues, gallerists, curators, muses, and family, and was present at photoshoots. Together, they selected images from his body of work and personal life. And finally, there were the last, emotional encounters in a sterile hospital room.

Mischa Cohen, in addition to publishing Mijn meningen zijn feiten (2020), also authored De nazi-leerling (2020, 4th edition) with Atlas Contact. Elsewhere, he published Mijn naam is Cohen. He was nominated twice for De Tegel and won the prestigious journalism award in 2014 for ’Die fucking datum’, a piece on the aftermath of Theo van Gogh’s murder. His story on the Charlie Hebdo editorial team following the January 7, 2015, terrorist attack was nominated for a Mercur, the award for the best magazine reportage of the year. These works were published in Vrij Nederland, the weekly-turned-monthly magazine where Cohen served as an editor for over three decades.