Olivia Droeshaut – born in 1972 – lives in Brussels (Belgium)
« For Olivia Droeshaut, photography and life are inextricably linked. Cathartic, her work pushes her to transgress her own limits. Among the multitude of faces that she scrutinizes with cruelty and innocence, she faces her own demons ».
Olivia Droeshaut discovered photography during her journalism studies and developed particular interest in storytelling. Looking to broaden her horizons, she travelled to Latin America as part of a cooperative development project where she witnessed harsh social realities, interacting with people in their daily lives, understanding their challenges, their hopes. Upon her return, she attended the Brussels School of Photography and eventually joined Reporters Press Agency. In 2003, she began to colaborate with Yves Dethier and created the label DYOD to personify the photographic work they produce together.
With every photo, her creativity pushed her from covering stories to portraiture and staging. This universe requires assembling decor, clothing, faces and silhouettes to create a fairytale atmosphere. In parallel, she explores a more artistic approach allowing her imagination to run wild. This poignant reflection captures the essence of Olivia’s work. With strength and determination, she explores the depths of her inner world.
Her images depict characters captured between audaciousness and self-control, sensuality and anxiousness. Carefully constructed, her photos reveal themselves in several layers, each peeled away like the skin of a fruit. One has to consider the cast shadows, provocative, if not dark, humor in her images. The result is sensual and obsessive, controlled and unbridled at the same time.