Biography
Olivier Desmet (b. 1973, Belgium) is a photographer and darkroom printer in Mill Valley, California. He is deeply influenced by the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of mono no aware, which emphasises the fleeting beauty of things. Desmet’s practice is rooted in traditional darkroom techniques. He considers a photograph incomplete until it is realised in the darkroom, where subtle gradations of tone and contrast give his work emotional depth and clarity.
Desmet’s work has been widely recognised and featured in publications including The Financial Times, Metropolis Japan, Tokyo Weekender, and The Southern Review. He has published three monographs: Mono no Aware (2021), exploring impermanence; Tsukiji (2022), a visual elegy to Tokyo’s historic fish market; and Marine Layer (2023), a meditation on the relationship between fog and light. His photograph, Ichiyuki-San Performs Kabuki Dance, from the Portraits of Maiko series, is part of the International Museum of Dance’s permanent collection.
Education
M.A. Photography (In progress) - Falmouth University
B.A. Photography - Southern New Hampshire University (Summa Cum Laude)
Artist Statement
My photography practice is centered on visually representing the beauty of transience. I am inspired by photographers who examined impermanence, such as Irving Penn and Masahisa Fukase, and I view photography as the ideal medium to explore this concept. A photograph records a moment that was once real but is now merely a memory. Buddhism teaches us that dwelling in the past leads to unnecessary suffering. Yet, photography’s primary purpose is to record it. I am interested in this dichotomy: the idea that whilst photography records the past, it also makes us more present by reminding us how quickly time slips away.
My choice of tools and techniques is driven by my appreciation for the tactile and the process-oriented. I use analog cameras and practice darkroom printing to produce gelatin silver prints. Making physical objects of my work, whether prints or books, provides me with a deep sense of satisfaction.
Self portrait - 2026