Dirk Braeckman, born in Eeklo, Belgium, was educated at the Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent, with a focus in photography and film. Upon graduation in 1982, Braeckman co- founded the Ghent based Galerie and photomagazine, XYZ. Commissioned by the Royal Palace of Brussels, Braeckman has received considerable acclaim for his portraits of the Belgian king, Albert II and Queen Paola. In addition to his photographic work, Braeckman creates site-specific installations, such as the recently permanent installation of his work H.S.-N.Y.-94-99, within the Concert Hall of Bruges. In 2002, he was granted the cultural award of the University of Louvain and received the Cultural Prize of the Flemish Community, Section Fine Arts in 2005. Braeckman’s work has appeared in numerous books, magazine and catalogues, and was most recently featured in the Photo Art book and published by Dumont, Thames & Hudson and Aperture. He currently works and resides in Ghent, Belgium.