Dia Mrad

Dia Mrad is a Lebanese photographer, based in Beirut, specialized in interiors and architecture photography. He graduated from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik in Lebanon (USEK) with a Master's in architecture in 2017. Since then, Dia merged his education in architecture with his passion for photography, to come up with a fresh take on architectural photography and visual storytelling.

Driven by a desire to understand Beirut, to document it, and to try to decode the secrets to its captivating charm, Dia started photographing the city in 2019 with a special focus on architecture, which he felt was an essential element in this “charming” composition. Dia’s work took on an unexpected turn after Beirut’s explosion on August 4th. His beloved triple-arched facades of heritage houses that he had been tracking for two years, were razed, some to the ground. In his work, Dia was deeply invested in showing the beauty, charm, and symmetry of Lebanese architecture. After the explosion, he purposefully used the same frames and composition to show the tragic transformation. Dia’s photos soon reached international recognition and were sought after by media agencies and art collectors alike. His most notable work, the “Gibran Khalil Gibran piece”, went on to become a symbol of the explosion and the destruction of the city (Zéna Zalzal- L'Orient Le Jour) and raised 5500$ in an auction for the reconstruction fund. Dia is now continuing his work, focusing on the reconstruction and renovation of the architectural heritage of Beirut.