Resident Artists

Olaf Starorypinski

Olaf Starorypinski was born in London in 1964, the son of Polish immigrants. On his 11th birthday, Olaf received his first camera as a gift. When it turned out he was a much better photographer than his father, he was hooked, and he knew that photography was something he would enjoy for the rest of his life.

Since he was a young, Olaf has been fascinated by light. He has been involved in lighting design for nearly 20 years, and he owns and operates an architectural lighting design company that is based in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

In 1990, Olaf moved to the United States. Upon his arrival, he continued working in interior and exterior lighting, but his interest in photography really blossomed.

Olaf mixes his knowledge of light and photography to sculpt subjects and create images from a unique perspective. His work is influenced by artists such as David Bailey and Howard Schatz, as well as by film, literature, dance and music. Although the scope of his subjects is broad, his primary interest has always been people. Recently, he has also begun to focus on interior and exterior architectural photography.

When he’s not hard at work, Olaf enjoys spending time at his home in Emmaus, where he lives with his wife, Kathie, daughter, Hannah, and their cats and dog.

Artist Statement

“The Banana Factory is the most impressive collection of artists in the Lehigh Valley and one of the best, if not the best, in Pennsylvania. It is just wonderful to be a part of that.”

-Olaf Starorypinski