Biography
Olivier Desmet (b. 1973, Belgium) is a photographer and darkroom printer based in Mill Valley, California. Deeply influenced by Japanese philosophy, particularly the concepts of mono no aware (the beauty of transience), his photographs offer viewers a quiet, poetic experience that invites introspection.
Originally from Belgium, Desmet relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and earned his B.A. in Photography from Southern New Hampshire University. Over the years, he has developed a practice grounded in traditional darkroom techniques. For Desmet, a photograph is incomplete until it takes shape in the darkroom, where the nuance of tone and contrast brings emotional resonance and visual clarity to his work.
Desmet’s work has been widely recognized and featured in publications such as The Financial Times, Metropolis Japan, Tokyo Weekender, and The Southern Review. He has published three monographs to date: Mono no Aware (2021), an exploration of urban and natural 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 included in the permanent collection of the International Museum of Dance.
Having traveled to Japan over thirty times since 2006, Desmet has developed a deep connection to the country’s culture. His Japanese-themed projects, including Portraits of Maiko, reflect a sensitivity to fleeting moments and cultural transitions, often capturing scenes on the edge of disappearance. At the core of Desmet’s practice is a reverence for simplicity and stillness. His images encourage a slowed way of seeing—an invitation to recognize the quiet beauty in impermanence.
Artist Statement
My work is rooted in a deep appreciation for stillness and the quiet moments that often go unnoticed. I’m drawn to the Japanese concepts of mono no aware, the beauty found in transience, and shibui, or subtle elegance. These ideas shape how I perceive the world and inform the way I create photographs.
I work exclusively in black and white, using digital medium format cameras, and I contact-print my images in my darkroom using the traditional silver printing process. This unusual hybrid workflow yields prints of great beauty. For me, a photograph isn’t complete until it takes physical form on paper. The act of printing is meditative; it’s where tone and texture come together to create emotional depth.
Whether I’m photographing the morning fog in Marin or the quiet elegance of a Kyoto maiko, I strive to create images that evoke a sense of timelessness and contemplation. I want my photographs to offer a moment of reflection and to evoke a quiet sense of connection with the viewer.
Self portrait (passport photo) - 2025