Jan von Holleben

Born in 1977 in Cologne and brought up in the southern German countryside, he lived most of his youth in an alternative commune and identifies a strong connection between the development of his photographic work and the influence of his parents, a cinematographer and child therapist. At the age of 13, he followed his father’s photographic career by picking up a camera and experimenting with all sorts of "magical tricks", developing his photographic imagination and skills with friends and family and later honing his technique in commercial settings.

After pursuing studies in teaching children with disabilities at the Pädagogische Hochschule in Freiburg, he moved to London, earned a degree in the Theory and History of Photography at Surrey Institute of Art and Design, and became submerged within the London photographic scene, where he worked as picture editor, art director and photographic director. He quickly set up two photographic collectives, Young Photographers United and photodebut, followed more recently by the Photographer’s Office. His body of photographic work focusing on the ‘homo ludens’ – the man who learns through play, is itself built from a playful integration of pedagogical theory with his own personal experiences of play and memories of childhood.

Jan von Holleben’s work has been exhibited internationally and published widely throughout the world.

His work has been published in Die Zeit, Spiegel Wissen, Chrismon, Neon, Creative Review, Dazed& Confused, Diva, Day 4, Dummy, Emotion, Geo, Geolino, Zeit Magazin, Zeit Campus, Adbusters, Art Review, Bant, Brigitte, Dumbo Feather, DPI, GeoLino, IDN, Irish Times, Label, Liberation, Max, Next Level, Ojodepez, Photo Review, Photography, Repubblica, Rojo, Style 100, The Face, The Sunday Review, Sleazenation, SZ-Magazin, Vice and Vogue Girl.

• 1997 Baccalaureate Diploma (A-Levels) – MSG, Breisach
• 1997–2000 Photographic Apprentice – Prisma Productions, Freiburg
• 1999–2000 Studies in Teaching Children with Disabilities – Pädagogische Hochschule, Freiburg
• 2000–2002 BA (Hons) Photography (Theory and History) – SIAD University, Farnham

• Dreams of Flying, The Photographer’s Office, London. 2006.
• 11-21, The Photographer’s Office, London. 2007.
• 1585 Deutsche Börse + Xchange, Corps, Düsseldorf. 2007.
• Träume vom Fliegen, Hoffmann & Campe, Hamburg. 2008.
• The Snowbed, The Photographer’s Office, London. 2008.
• Mutatis Mutandis, The Photographer’s Office, London. 2009.
• Dreams of Flying vol.2, The Photographer’s Office, London. 2009.

1998

• FotoSalon Preis / Kirchzarten

2004

• Audi / Next Level Photographic Award / London
• London Photographic Award / London
• The Observer Hodge Photographic Award / London
• International Photography Award / Los Angeles

2006

• International Photography Award / Los Angeles
• Pilsner Urquell Ambassador for German Photography / Cologne
• Young Portfolio Award / Kiyosato
• Free Range Photographic Ambassador / London
• Magenta Award / Toronto
• Honours – Hyeres Festivale de la Photographie / Hyeres
• Gold – Lead Award / Hamburg
• Festimage / Chaves Photoreview Award / Langhorne

2007

• Florence Biennale Award for Photography / Florence
• Photographery Masters Cup/ London-Beverly Hills
• PHE07 Best Photography Books of 2007 for ‘Dreams of Flying’/ Madrid
• Gold – PX3 Photography Award / Paris
• Gold – Best CP Award / Munich
• Finalist – Cedefop Award / Thessaloniki
• Gold – Art for Aid Award / Amsterdam

2008

• Backlight Artist’s Residency, Finland
• Bronze – Idn + graniph Universe Award / Tokyo
• Nomination – Joop Swart Master Class, Amsterdam

2009

• Aesthetica Award – Runner up / London
• Unicum Award – Best Ad / Bochum
• Lead Award – Auszeichnung / Hamburg

2010

• LensCulture Award – Honorable Mention / San Francisco

• 

  The Flowers from Journey to everywhere

• 

  Particle Acclerator from Latteral Thinking

• 

  Gameboys and Girls

• 

  The dog rider from the series Dreams of Flying

• 

  Rabby and Bunny from the series Cyborg Pets