Ian van Coller was born in 1970, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Van Coller received a National Diploma in Photography from Technikon Natal in Durban, and in 1992 he moved to the United States to pursue his studies where he received a BFA (photography) from Arizona State University, and an MFA (photography) from The University of New Mexico.

He currently lives in Bozeman, Montana with his wife, two children, two dogs, and is an Associate Professor of Photography at Montana State University.

His work has been widely exhibited in the United States and South Africa, including 20 solo exhibitions and over 60 group exhibitions, and is included in many significant museum collections including The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Fogg Museum, The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and The South African National Gallery (IZIKO).

Van Coller is represented by Lisa Sette Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, Schneider Gallery in Chicago, Illinois, and JDC Fine Art in San Diego.