Erwin Olaf (Netherlands, 1959–2023) has died at the age of 64 after a long battle with lung disease, according to information published on Wednesday, September 20 by several media outlets in the Netherlands, citing the artist's family. "World-famous photographer Erwin Olaf has died. His family has announced the news," reported NOS, the Dutch public broadcasting organisation.

After suffering from emphysema in 1996, the photographer had recently received a lung transplant. "He was getting better, but his condition suddenly deteriorated. Efforts to resuscitate him failed," NOS reported, quoting a person close to the family. Born in Amsterdam, an LGBTQ+ activist, he had been knighted in the Netherlands for his 60th birthday as a reward for his work defending the rights of the homosexual community. Erwin Olaf was one of the world's most sought-after photographers, whose images are striking for their provocative intent, their strangeness or the solitude of their characters.