Dia Mrad

Dia Mrad

Dia Mrad (b. 1991) is a Lebanese visual artist working in the field of photography. He lives and works in Beirut.

Mrad graduated in 2017 with a Master’s degree in Architecture. Soon after, he started using a mix of photography and academic formation to decipher Beirut’s built environment, a subject that intrigued him. He employed strategies he had learned and practiced to produce a fresh perspective on informed/informative architectural photography and visual storytelling. 

In 2017 Dia relocated outside of Beirut and went on an extended trip around Europe. But being away from the city offered perspective and time to reflect. Dia returned to Beirut in 2019 with the idea that would set the tone for his future work: that Beirut’s unique mix of architectural styles woven between layers of history was so particular yet so neglected, a forgotten treasure that needed to be uncovered. This turning point led to working on a systematic photographic archive of Beirut, an imprint of the city and its architecture.

Through his work, Mrad captures the shifting urban environment from aesthetic, social, economic, and cultural perspectives. Focusing largely on Beirut, the artist portrays buildings as silent witnesses alluding to themes of identity and its transience. He applies the same documentary approach as he visits other sites around the globe as a way to decipher and uncover hidden narratives of human activity.

Dia Mrad is a Lebanese Architecture photographer. Dia Mrad is a Lebanese Architecture photographer. Dia Mrad is a Lebanese Architecture photographer. Dia Mrad is a Lebanese Architecture photographer. Dia Mrad is a Lebanese Architecture photographer. Mrad began documenting Beirut’s heritage homes in 2019. The young photographer originally trained as an architect at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, which is known in Lebanon for its lively cultural heritage programme. But there were few opportunities in architecture when Mrad graduated in 2017. “Instead, he developed my passion for photography,”. Upon his return, he began photographing the traditional homes of Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael. These adjoining districts around the Beirut port are emblematic of the city’s cosmopolitan identity, and were hubs for the city’s creative and hospitality sectors. But the area was neglected by real estate developers in Lebanon’s post-war years, thus preserving much of its original architecture.