Dia Mrad

Dia Mrad (b. 1991) is a Lebanese visual artist and photographer, specialised in interiors and architecture, who was born in Ras Baalbek. He studied at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Lebanon (USEK), gaining a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture in 2014 and a Master’s three years later.

A move to Beirut saw Mrad develop a fascination with the city’s architectural landscape, which he carried through into his work. He gained a specific interest in the buildings that formed a key part of its heritage and set out to begin playing a part in preserving their heritage through documentation and visual storytelling.

Mrad’s early photographs, such as ‘Alb’ (2019) and ‘Sayegh II’ (2019), highlighted the combined influence of the Ottoman and French architectural styles on many of Lebanon’s significant buildings. However, his work underwent a shift of direction following the catastrophic explosion at the Beirut Port on August 4, 2020, during which numerous buildings of historical architectural importance were razed to the ground, including many that he had been documenting in his work. In the wake of the blast, Mrad decided to photograph the buildings in their ruinous state, using identical frames and composition to highlight the damage done. 

Mrad’s photos in the wake of the Beirut blast garnered huge interest internationally, with their topical subject matter making them highly sought after by media agencies and collectors alike, and bringing Mrad international recognition. His iconic ‘Gibran Khalil Gibran piece’ raised $5500 for the city’s reconstruction when it was sold at an auction organised for this purpose.

Several of these symbolic works featured in a high-profile solo exhibition which Mrad aptly titled ‘The Road to Reframe’. Commenting ahead of the show, Mrad said: “It is hard to put everything I saw into words. Hence the photos.”

Photos featured in the show included up-close shots of the location of the explosion, which Mrad was able to take after being given access to the port site. In these works, the mountains of grains appear as majestic sand dunes, golden in colour against the towering, ivory-hued silo – a scene he termed ‘The Beirut Desert’. Other photos captured what remained of the city’s once majestic buildings, including the famous Sursock Palace, portraying badly damaged facades and wrecked interiors, assembled in a ‘before and after’ format.

The ‘The Road to Reframe’ exhibition opened in 2021 at Arthaus Gemmayzeh, Beirut and travelled in 2022 to Fondation Château Mercier, Sierre, Switzerland and BB Museum, Brasilia and Museum of Art of Rio, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Follow-up projects include: ‘Utilities’ (2022), in which Mrad focuses on how the Lebanese tried to persevere with their day-to-day lives after the crisis. Recently, he also undertook a project titled ‘Tradition of Change’ (2023), exploring the architectural heritage of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His work was displayed at the city’s Masaha Residency Cycle 5 Showcase, Misk Art Institute in the same year. Mrad previously took part in a group show at Gallery Salahin, Paris (2021). 

Mrad’s work can be found in several collections worldwide, including: the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut; the Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE; the Boghossian Foundation, Brussels, Belgium; A.R.M. Holding, Dubai; and The Coronet Theatre, London. Mrad resides in Beirut.