Hayk Bianjyan

Hayk Bianjyan is a documentary photographer (b.1977) lives in Yerevan Armenia. He graduated from the Armenian State Pedagogical University, school of Fine arts and drawing in 2000. He discovered his passion for photography in 1998. He had his first solo exhibition “Discovery” In 2001. He was among a few selected photographers who attended the World Press Photo photojournalism course in Yerevan (from 2004-2005) and was awarded a certificate of photo correspondent. In 2006 he was selected as finalist by the European Union and the British Council for a project “EU and I” and presented photo essays about the Armenian youth at his solo exhibition. Since 2003 Hayk Bianjyan has been documenting the violation of property rights in Yerevan, where ongoing redevelopment projects have resulted in the large-scale destruction of historical buildings and the eviction of their tenants and owners. In 2004 he received a grant from the Caucuses Media Institute and in 2009 from Open Society Foundation (OSI) for his documentary. His essay “Old Yerevan” was first exhibited in 2005. Bianjyan’s photographs are part of his larger, ongoing documentary and archiving project that includes audio interviews, video, historical photographs, and personal objects and architectural details salvaged from the destructed homes. His film “Disappearing memories” was first shown in June 2011 in Yerevan and later in December 2011 in Berlin at photo academy, where he also presented his two exhibitions “Chao USSR” and “Old Yerevan” in Berlin. His work has been exhibited in a number of solo and group exhibitions in Armenia and published in newspapers and magazines. In addition to working as a photographer and videographer, Bianjyan is co-founder and director of Afrikyan & Bianjyan Group Co., which conducts genealogical research and compiles documents and photographs.