Approaching projects like a video game, Bryan Huynh builds digital worlds for Grimes, aespa and more

The work of Bryan Huynh is epic, to say the least. It's easy to see why he was tapped to become the co-creative director of ethereal singer-songwriter Grimes, as Bryan's work situates itself squarely in the future, delving into the possibilities of what we can do with the photographic medium. “My work is quite digital, collaborating specifically with CGI artists to create the worlds in my images,” Bryan tells us. “I usually approach every project like its own video game, building out the visuals of each universe and what type of characters inhabit it.”

Because Bryan has oscillated between the realms of music, fashion and tech for the past few years, he's rarely situated his photography in one place. They're all distinctly his, however: laden with a glossy, video-game like effect that looks equal parts Dune as it does a vision of untold futures. “I’m really interested in creating a fantasy, fleshing out the backstory of who the model is, designing the architecture and landscapes, and crafting all the different ways those things can interact with one another,” Bryan says. “I’m very uninterested in portraying reality but I think no matter how far out an image goes, the viewer should still be able to connect to it emotionally.”