Erwin Olaf
LUMC Pride
For us, choosing this work was an obvious decision. Erwin Olaf is not just a photographer; he is an icon for our community, someone who spent his entire career advocating for the freedom of identity, sexuality, and gender. As a network, we recognize that sentiment all too well.
In Pearls, from the Squares series, we see a face that refuses to be confined to a single definition: androgynous, vulnerable, and powerful at the same time. The pearls and chains surrounding the mouth are both ornament and burden, beautiful and unsettling within the same image. It is precisely this tension that resonates with what we stand for: claiming the space to be yourself, even when that does not fit neatly into any box.
…For us, choosing this work was an obvious decision. Erwin Olaf is not just a photographer; he is an icon for our community, someone who spent his entire career advocating for the freedom of identity, sexuality, and gender. As a network, we recognize that sentiment all too well.
In Pearls, from the Squares series, we see a face that refuses to be confined to a single definition: androgynous, vulnerable, and powerful at the same time. The pearls and chains surrounding the mouth are both ornament and burden, beautiful and unsettling within the same image. It is precisely this tension that resonates with what we stand for: claiming the space to be yourself, even when that does not fit neatly into any box.
It is no coincidence that, as a network, we previously organized an exhibition of Olaf’s work in this hospital. For us, this diversity art route is a meaningful continuation of that earlier step, a sign that this perspective on identity has found a lasting place here.
We see an androgynous person, vulnerable and powerful at the same time. The pearls and chains around the mouth are both ornament and burden, beautiful and unsettling in a single image. It is precisely this tension that resonates with what we stand for.
About the work
Erwin Olaf Springveld (1959-2023) is internationally acclaimed as one of the most prominent Dutch art photographers. Throughout his life, he was committed to freedom of identity, sexuality, gender and equal rights for everyone.
In his work, Olaf creates a fantasy world, in which elements of different cultures and subcultures come together. His work is aesthetic and provocative at the same time. This photo is part of the series Squares. In it, he challenges the viewer to look beyond conventions and prejudices.
Baryta print, 74 x 62 37.5 x 37.5 cm, 1986