Maher Attar
Photographer Maher Attar's career started in 1984 covering the war in Lebanon for Agence France-Presse. His moving image of the war in 1985, depicting a mother with one leg and holding the hand of her injured child, made the front cover of The New York Times. For Sygma Photo Agency, as their Middle East Correspondent, he documented war conflicts including the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, the war in Afghanistan and many other events and wars in the Middle East. From 1990, based then in Paris, Attar's photography encompassed taking pictures of politicians and creatives as well as world events. Then in 2002, he established MGA Production, a photo press agency collaborating with publications such as Life, Newsweek, Time, Le Figaro, and Paris Match among others.
Maher Attar has exhibited his photography on nature, water and life at the Espace Pierre Cardin in Paris. He was selected in 2015 by the European House of Photography (MEP) and the Arab World Institute (IMA) to exhibit his lomography photography at the First Photography Biennale of the Contemporary Arab World in Paris. His image of the French UN Peacekeeper during an exchange of fire in south Lebanon in 1986, sits in the archive of the United Nations Photo Library, and his book titled “Challenges & Reality” launched at the United Nations headquarters in New York, highlighting children around the world and their rights to education; It was sponsored by the Education Above All Foundation and was exhibited at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Other publications include 'Be Creative' and ' ‘BERYTUS .. A Glorified City’'. Furthermore the photographer was a communications advisor to Her Royal Highness Princess Haya of Jordan and Director at the office of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in charge of developing Qatar’s image bank, as well as organising programs for NGOs to teach children photography techniques.
In 2021, Maher Attar founded Art District, a photography gallery and L'Atelier, a creative space in Beirut. Establishments that were opened in the Gemmayze area of Beirut in the aftermath of the 4th August 2020 devastation, to support and showcase photographers and artists as well as highlight social causes through art.
During the 6th edition of Menart Fair in Paris, Art District Gallery will be showing Maher Attar's work alongside works by Nada Eido and Lara Zankoul.
There is intensity and dignity in Attar's photography, from the moving images of documenting war, baring witness to many conflict zones with attention and care, to his photography on Lebanon's landscapes and those on creatives, speaking with messages of freedom, peace and diversity. A renowned photographer with vast experience who's eye captures his home country with love and strength. Working with the lomography technique, a type of vintage essence feels like it sits onto or into the visual of the now that Attar captures, fusing memory of the Lebanon with documenting, nostalgia and longing with heartache and strength, and intensity with tenderness coincide in his works.
The theme for this year's MENART Fair is art through the notion of softness or gentleness, with on display Maher Attar's photography, from 25th to 27th October 2025 in Paris, 116 Rue de Turenne.