Mimo Khair

Mimo Khair (b. 1966) is a Lebanese-American artist who was born in north Lebanon and is today based in Düsseldorf, Germany. Growing up in Lebanon, she was aged just nine when the civil war began and the long-running conflict had a profound effect on her. 

Khair discovered her passion for art and storytelling at an early age. She studied Geology and Archaeology at the American University of Beirut, graduating in 1987. However, with the challenges of living in Lebanon now taking their toll, she decided in that same year to relocate to the US. 

Khair settled in New York City and took various courses at educational institutions there spanning the visual and performing arts, including several at Parsons School of Design. During this time, her creative interests remained broad. However, a chance found when visiting family in New Zealand changed all of that, as she explained.

“I was walking along a beach and came across an abandoned Pentax camera in the sand,” she said. “After checking with Lost Property, I was given the green light to keep it and that was it! I knew right away that after dabbling in everything else, photography was my calling. It just felt completely natural.”

Having spent a month with a friend learning the basics, Khair bought 35 rolls of film and set off for Egypt on her first professional expedition. New York remained her base for the following 16 years while she honed her craft, but travel quickly became an integral part of her artistic practice, from time spent in Shanghai, China, where she immersed herself in the cultures of the Far East, to projects undertaken across Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Today, Khair’s creative work spans fine art photography, street photography, documentary photography, motion design and writing. 

Driven by a deep fascination with the human condition and our connection to the subtle, unseen worlds, she seeks to capture with her camera the essence of people, places and the invisible threads that connect them.

Khair finds beauty in the streets, architecture and landscapes of the places she explores around the world, using her lens to tell stories that transcend time and borders. “My earlier work was very much focused on people and, specifically, moments of emotion,” she explained. “Over time, as I became more focused on the scientific side of composition, I began to see how dramatically effective it could be to combine people with buildings. Adding a human element to manmade architecture, with its geometry, shapes and lines, is incredibly powerful.”

She also recalls the incredible feeling of being in a dark room and witnessing a scene captured come alive once again. “The reconnection is very special, it’s like finding yourself in a portal and being transported back to that moment, but with a layer added to the experience, which is your emotion and interpretation,” she explained. “While the processes have changed today, they had a big impact on me and I think that’s why I leave a lot of my work open to interpretation.”

Khair’s work has featured in numerous exhibitions, including both solo and group shows.

Khair’s work has featured in numerous exhibitions, including both solo and group shows. Recent solo shows include: ‘Facing Future’, Arte Spazio Temo Gallery, Cannaregio, Venice (2024); ‘The Fragile Web of Human Connection’, Wall Style, Duesseldorf (2016); and Solo Show (representing Lebanon), Lausanne, Switzerland (2010). 

Group shows, meanwhile, include: ‘Street Geometry BNW’, Galleria dei Miracoli, Rome (2025); ‘Regeneration-Venice Photo Lab’, Castello Gallery, Venice (2023); Treviso Photographic Festival, Treviso, Italy (2023); Nordi Art, Copenhagen (2017); ‘100 Photos pour Comprendre’, Lille, France, organized by Fondation Europatlas (2015); ‘Exposure 2014’, Times Square (large screens), New York City, organized by See.me (2014); ‘Shadow Stories’, MPA Exhibition, Soho Art House, New York City (2014); ‘Us. Them’, Pingyao, China (2013) and 798 Art District, Beijing (2014); and ‘Awaken’ Shanghai (2010).

Mimo Khair’s work can also be found in a number of publications, including books that she has had published, namely: ‘Solo: The Art of Being Alone’ and ‘Facing Future: Portraits of Resilient Children’.