Dean is an international icon maker whose idiosyncratic mixture of striking, sophisticated portraiture and acerbic observation of the human nature has earned him the status of one of the preeminent contemporary photographers.
He made his name as a celebrity photographer more than twenty years ago and has since solidified his reputation with a series of hugely popular and successful books on the subjects ranging from JLS and Leona Lewis to David Beckham and the Spice Girls.
Funkytown, an art book retrospective of his work, was also published to great acclaim and his latest book on Michael Buble, the world’s number one selling male solo artist, is due to be released later this year.
His work has been exhibited internationally and acquired by private collectors around the world. His advertising portfolio is equally impressive and includes worldwide campaigns for clients like Levi’s, Coca Cola and American Express.
He has worked extensively both with A-list celebrities and ordinary people across five continents, from voodoo practitioners to Nobel Prize winners, detecting beauty and humanity that goes beyond the time and place.
Whether he hangs out with George Michael or Katy Perry, chronicles the tango scene in Buenos Aires, or the youth culture of Brazil and India, Dean always captures a sense of intimacy and candidness that compels us to look at his images, stimulates the senses and provokes thought.
He draws us into the world of his subjects, revealing it in all its weird and wonderful glory, celebrating human life in all its diversity, its frailty and grit, its starkness and splendour.
But Dean is more than just an observer of life, he is very much an active participant, someone who instinctively immerses himself in it, whose passion for it is infectious and comes across in every story he tells.
In his work, he strongly empathizes with the plight of everyday people, while never taking completely seriously the vanities of the rich and famous, all of whom he so vividly portrays.
This unique sensibility is something he brings to his film and commercials work too, making it look sumptuous yet natural, pulsating with energy, sensuality and emotion.
Through years of experience, Dean has developed and eye for choosing the best talent, great understanding of the importance of casting as well as his own distinctive way of eliciting truthful and memorable performances.
One of his skills as a director is his ability to get the best out of actors and models he works with and create a startling combination of lifestyle and constructed reportage that feels incredibly engaging and real.
Dean was born in London where he still exerts considerable influence on contemporary cultural iconography. He has work displayed in the National Portrait Gallery and his editorials appear regularly in publications like Tatler and GQ.
He divides his time between New York and L.A, and is often back in his hometown of London. He has travelled to over fifty countries, compiling an amazing mental catalogue of locations and inspirations.
