Half Korean and half German, Olaf Mueller was born in Germany in 1980. Mueller juxtaposes conventional photographic methods with modern digital technologies to create surreal and visually potent compositions. The artist has developed a process which is both physical and digital: building pioneering theatrical shoot locations and later enhancing them through digital stitching and other technological processes in to complement his concept and vision. As such there is a powerful duality at play between the real and the imagined, between conjured images and visual apparitions and between serene stillness and dynamic composition. The results are soulful, mystic, deeply creative and are testament to Mueller’s enduring interest in both technical and aesthetic innovation.
For his Dragon Garden series Mueller took his cue from the location’s classical Chinese architecture and the garden’s timeless quality. Taking the Cantopop superstar, Kay Tse as his muse, Mueller produced a series of visually intoxicating shoots, employing lustrous colour, specially made couture and captivating compositions. The images employ clean lines and many different symmetrical layers, textures and objects. From a distance the works seem static and symmetrical, however, on closer inspection, asymmetrical elements emerge creating an element of movement but yet maintaining a careful balance between distortion and clarity. The works are alternately vintage and contemporary in feel, and seemingly sit outside time and space.
Mueller completed a BBA degree at Germany's prestigious European Business School and then his MA degree in Real Estate Finance at HKU before making a U-turn in order to follow his creative passions. Since then, Mueller has received over 22 Honorable Mentions at the International Photography Awards, New York, won the Kee Fashion Competition in 2008 and was also one of the contributors of the Dior Iconic Visions exhibition which was ranked as the number one event of 2008. His first solo exhibition, Wicked, was held in May 2009 at M1NT Hong Kong in association with the Avantara Gallery. This was followed by his charity exhibition in December 2009 which was sponsored by Prestige Hong Kong and AIDS Concern. Mueller shot a total of 26 celebrities including Sharon Stone, Macy Gray, Simon Yam and Daniel Wu, a feat which has never been achieved before by a Western photographer in Hong Kong.
