Olaf Hajek

Olaf Hajek is one of Germany’s most renowned illustrators and has, through countless works, developed his personal and frequently awarded style. Hajek decomposes the borders between authenticity and thought, South American folklore, mythology, religion, history, and geography. More than anything else, his work explores the opposition between imagination and reality in the context of Western cultures. Olaf Hajek is a painter immersed in a world of surreal fantasy and melancholic beauty. Drawing from diverse references such as 1960s African studio photography, Renaissance perspective, and the Dutch still lifes of the 1600s, his work is underpinned by the colour and texture of folkloric imagery. Hajek’s images are generally created by applying acrylic to cardboard and resemble Cuban advertising posters from the 1960s on account of the technique with which he creates artificial patina. They retain a valuable graphic feel despite their painted appearance. Olaf Hajek is currently one of the most internationally renowned and sought-after illustrators and visual artists. His stylistically unique work can be seen in publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, and Vogue, as well as on stamps for Great Britain’s Royal Mail. Living and working in Berlin and Palma de Mallorca. www.olafhajek.com