As a child, Olivier Depaep (1978) spent every weekend at his grandparents bicycle shop in a small seaside town in Belgium. It was there that his fascination for geometric shapes and people watching began. In the constant ebb and flow of customers in the shop, Olivier would spend hours focussing on people, their faces and their clothes, going about their everyday activities against a backdrop of lines and colour.
His interest in photography began when he moved to England. Working his way through different genres, his passion for portraits and streetscapes collided, driven by his childhood experience which led him to the wonders of street photography.
His work has been recognised with an Editor’s Pick by LensCulture (2026), shortlisted for the Boooooom Photo Awards (2026), and awarded an Honourable Mention at the Paris International Street Photo Awards (2025). In 2024, he presented a solo exhibition at the Knokke-Heist Cultural Centre.
EXHIBITIONS & FEATURES
2026 - Editor's pick, Lensculture, Amsterdam (NL)
2026 - Shortlist, Boooooom Photo Awards, Vancouver (CAN)
2025 - Honourable mention, Paris International Street Photo Awards (F)
2024 - Solo Exhibition, Knokke-Heist Cultural Centre (B)
2023, 2024 - Group Exhibition, Belle Epoque (B)
2023 - Published in Fujilove Magazine (SUI)
2022 - Featured on Radio 2 Podcast (B)
2017, 2019, 2022, 2025 - Group Exhibition, Oostkust Kunst (B)
2014 - Student of the Week, London School of Photography (GB)