Revision 896649950 of "Sacha Dean Biyan" on enwiki

{{short description|American photographer}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Sacha Dean Bïyan
| image       = 
| birth_name  = Alexander Dean-Bïyan
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1968|10|01}}
| birth_place = [[Montreal]], [[Canada]]
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| nationality = Canadian
| residence   = [[New York City]], [[United States]]
| occupation  = [[Photographer]], [[Photojournalist]], [[Filmmaker]], [[Author]], [[Artist]]
| status      = Active
| title       =
| family      =
| spouse      =
| children    =
| relatives   =
| networth    =
| signature   =
| credits     = 
| website = {{url|sachabiyan.com}}
}}
'''Sacha Dean Bïyan''' is a [[photographer]], [[photojournalist]], [[filmmaker]] and  [[author]] based in [[Manhattan]]. He is best known for his [[photography]], which ranges from [[fashion]] and [[advertising]] to portraits of [[indigenous cultures]] around the world.

== Early life ==
Sacha Dean Biyan was born on October 1, 1968, and grew up mainly in [[Montreal]], [[Canada]].<ref>[http://www.areaofdesign.com/inthespotlight/biyan.htm Area of Design]</ref> He spent his later formative years in [[Paris]], [[New York City]] and [[Los Angeles]], during which he cultivated his interest in [[music]],  [[art]] and [[photography]].

Biyan began his career as a club [[deejay]] in the mid-1980s while he was still in high school.<ref name="ten_celebs">Michael D'Alimonte, "[https://www.mtlblog.com/amp/famous-canadian-celebrities-from-montreal 10 famous celebrities who are also from Montreal]", MTL Blog, 29 March 2016.</ref> He initially spun a mix of [[hip hop]], [[Electro (music)|electro]], [[disco]] and [[funk]], then transitioned to deeper, soulful [[house music |house sounds]], influenced by the likes of [[Larry Levan]] at New York’s [[Paradise Garage]]. His experiences during those early years were instrumental in shaping the audio and visual style of his later work.<ref>[http://www.eccentris.com Eccentris.com]</ref>

After a somewhat itinerant adolescence, Biyan trained as an [[engineer]], earning a [[Bachelor’s degree]] in [[Robotics]] and a [[Master of Science]] in [[Aeronautical Engineering]]. He worked as an [[engineer]] and [[entrepreneur]] in the [[aerospace industry]] for several years.<ref>[http://www.sachabiyan.com Sachabiyan.com]</ref> However, his affinity for photography led him to switch careers again in the late 1990s.

Biyan began experimenting with [[cameras]], [[photographic film]] and [[darkroom]] techniques at an early age, inspired primarily by the works of [[Edward S. Curtis]], [[Sebastião Salgado]], [[Richard Avedon]], [[Irving Penn]], [[Helmut Newton]] and [[Guy Bourdin]].<ref name="new_pioneers">[http://www.thefwa.com/article/photography-the-new-pioneers The New Pioneers]</ref>{{Better source|reason=thefwa.com is not an independent source. (See the talk page.)|date=April 2019}} While he had no formal training in photography, he has said that "I got my schooling on the city streets, at the warehouse parties and nightclubs, photographing just about anything and anyone, and learning from my mistakes... Those experiences were invaluable and taught me more about photography than any classroom ever could."<ref name="new_pioneers" />{{Better source|reason=thefwa.com is not an independent source. (See the talk page.)|date=April 2019}} Biyan initially worked in [[commercial photography]] before veering more towards [[photojournalism]] and [[filmmaking]].

== Work ==

Biyan has shot [[advertising campaigns]], [[music videos]] and [[documentaries]] for clients such as [[Sony Music]], [[Adidas]], [[The Gap, Inc.|GAP]], [[Lexus]], [[PBS]] and the [[Discovery Channel]]; and his editorial images have appeared in [[GQ]], [[Maxim magazine |Maxim]], [[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]] and [[Marie Claire]].<ref>[http://info.loupeart.com/sacha-dean-biyan-artist Loupe Art]</ref> He has held solo [[exhibitions]] of his works in [[São Paulo]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmLKSU7fa9U Sao Paulo, Memorial da America Latina Museum Exhibition video footage]</ref> [[Florence]], [[Barcelona]], [[Paris]], and in [[Los Angeles]] as a benefit for [[Amnesty International]].

Biyan is the author of two fine art books: ''Spiritus Mundi'' published in 2005, and ''Eccentris'' published in 2012. Spiritus Mundi took nine years to complete, and documents his encounters with remote [[indigenous cultures]] in [[Brazil]], [[Ecuador]], [[Bolivia]], [[Peru]], [[Venezuela]], [[Colombia]], [[The Philippines]], [[India]], [[Bhutan]], [[Nepal]], [[Burma]], [[China]], [[Mongolia]], [[Papua New Guinea]], [[Indonesia]] and [[Micronesia]].<ref>[http://www.dbaeditora.com.br/index.php?route=product/product&path=62&product_id=75 DBA Editora]</ref> His second book, Eccentris, is a retrospective of his work in fashion and advertising from 1998-2006.

Biyan’s images also served as the inspiration for the music CD, ''Dessous Presents Eccentris: Skin Is In'',<ref>[http://www.dessous-recordings.com/releases/skin Dessous Recordings]</ref> released in 2006 by German [[house music]] label Dessous Recordings. Dessous subsequently released the iTunes album ''Eccentris Vibes'',<ref>[https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/dessous-presents-eccentris/id420461559 Eccentris Vibes on iTunes]</ref> compiled and mixed by Biyan.

== Eccentris ==

Eccentris was an [[interactive]] [[Brand|branding]] concept developed and produced by New York design agency Firstborn Multimedia. Biyan engaged Firstborn in early 2000 to build an online identity for his edgy (hence eccentris) style of [[fashion photography]]. The intent was to develop an equally cutting edge [[website]] that combined static images with [[high definition audio]] and [[high definition video|video]], [[motion graphics]], and a dynamic [[user interface]]. However, due to [[bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]] and computer [[CPU]] limitations at the time, many technical hurdles were encountered, and the ambitious scope had to be scaled back significantly to make the site work. 

''Eccentris.com'' was finally launched in 2002 to critical acclaim. It still featured ample amounts of imagery, music and motion, and set the bar for photography sites of that era.<ref>[https://work.firstborn.com/work/107/eccentris-com Firstborn Multimedia]</ref> Rob Ford of ''Favourite Website Awards'' has described "the legendary website of photographer Sacha Dean Biyan"<ref>Ford, Rob, [https://thefwa.com/article/fwa-review-best-photo-sites "FWA Review, Best Photo Sites"].</ref>{{Better source|reason=thefwa.com is not an independent source. (See the talk page.)|date=April 2019}} as "a unique sensory experience"<ref>[https://thefwa.com/cases/eccentris FWA Case Study].</ref> with "truly awe-inspiring photography that exudes nothing but innovation and class."<ref>Ford, Rob, [https://thefwa.com/article/fwa-review-2002 "FWA Review, Best of 2002"].</ref>{{Better source|reason=thefwa.com is not an independent source. (See the talk page.)|date=April 2019}}  In 2002, ''[[Communication Arts]]'' named Eccentris one of its Interactive Annual 9 winners,<ref>[http://www.commarts.com/CA/interactive/cai03/ Communication Arts Interactive Annual 9 Winners]</ref> and it was subsequently featured in the September/October 2003 issue of ''Communication Arts''.<ref>[http://www.commarts.com/CA/interactive/cai03/ Interactive Annual 9: Eccentris]</ref> In 2004, it was recipient of the FITC award for best navigation.<ref>[http://www.fitc.ca/awards/2004/ FITC 2004 Winners]</ref> 

Biyan's two websites, Eccentris and Sachabiyan.com (also designed by Firstborn Multimedia),<ref>[https://work.firstborn.com/work/106/sachabiyan-com Firstborn Project Archive]</ref> have been showcased in numerous other print and online publications, including ''Taschen's 1,000 Favorite Websites''<ref>{{ISBN|3-8228-2586-7}}</ref> and ''Taschen's Web Design Portfolios''.<ref>{{ISBN|3-8228-4041-6}}</ref> Eccentris is also exhibited in the Web Design Museum, which preserves the creative legacy of the most influential web designs from the dawn of the millennium for future generations.<ref>[https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/gallery/eccentris-2002 Web Design Museum]</ref>

== Personal life ==

Biyan is a self-proclaimed international gypsy who has traveled to over 80 countries for his photographic projects. He is fluent in six languages, and has lived in [[North America]], [[South America]], [[Europe]] and [[Asia]]. However, he has called [[New York City]] his spiritual home, having spent what he said were some of his "most formative years" there.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Biyan abruptly quit [[commercial photography]] in 2007 due to what he called "the [[Internet]] and [[social media]]’s relentless homogenization and commoditization of the photo industry."{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} He added that "For now, despite the obvious advantages of digital, my obsession with quality always draws me back to traditional means. I use medium or large format cameras, and still prefer platinum palladium printing for my images, which unfortunately cannot be appreciated over the Internet."<ref>Ricardo Vilela, "[https://filmphotographyisnotdead.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/photographers-who-still-sh/ Photographers who still shooting with film]", Film Photography is Not Dead, June 28, 2012.</ref>

== Bibliography ==

* 2005 : ''Spiritus Mundi''. Editora DBA. Hardcover {{ISBN|978-8-5723432-5-1}}. Portuguese/English.
* 2007 : ''Spiritus Mundi''. Great Circle Books. Paperbound {{ISBN|978-0-9798631-0-3}}. English.
* 2012 : ''Eccentris''. Editions Lumiere. Hardcover {{ISBN|978-0-578-10981-7}}. English.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.eccentris.com Eccentris: Sacha Dean Biyan] - Biyan's website. Requires Flash.
* [http://www.sachabiyan.com Earth Pilgrim] - Website dedicated to his work with indigenous groups around the world. Requires Flash.

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biyan, Sacha Dean}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Fashion photographers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American photographers]]
[[Category:Anglophone Quebec people]]
[[Category:Artists from Montreal]]