Jan von Holleben
Jan von Holleben (born 1977) is a German photographer. He grew up in the southern German countryside and in an alternative commune near Freiburg. He says his parents, a cinematographer and a child therapist, influenced his work. At 13 he started taking photos with his father’s camera, playing with “magical tricks” and building his own photographic imagination. He later gained technical experience in commercial work.
He studied teaching children with disabilities at Freiburg’s Pädagogische Hochschule, then moved to London. There he earned a degree in Theory and History of Photography at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design and joined the London photo scene as a picture editor, art director and photographic director. He started two photo collectives, Young Photographers United and photodebut, and later The Photographer’s Office.
His photography explores the idea of the homo ludens—the person who learns through play. He blends ideas from education with his own memories of play and childhood. His work has been shown around the world and published in many magazines, including Die Zeit, Spiegel Wissen, Neon, Dazed & Confused, Vogue, Vice and more.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:10 (CET).