On May 5, 2022, Maher Attar’s photography project “Berytus. A Glorified City” was officially unveiled at the Art District House of Photography. On a late Spring afternoon in the centre of Beirut, the audience of art fans accepted the eagerly anticipated spectacle well. The Gallery, Art District, a beloved business of Maher’s, has quickly established itself as a gathering place for those interested in photography and has already displayed a few solo exhibitions. It was a historic occasion that should not be missed to see the exhibition “Berytus.. A Glorified City” after three years in the making.
The project demonstrates Maher’s proficiency with the Lomography method as well as his originality. The subject is suggestive of personification, which is the practice of portraying a concept or an ideal through the full-length figure of a lady, in early 19th-century French paintingsd. Lea Mehanna, a model and muse from Lebanon, was chosen by Maher’s project to represent Beirut, Berytus, the city that has repeatedly fallen and again risen.
The project is a one-of-a-kind exhibition in Lebanon that features 13 limited edition works of art, “masterpieces” of fine art photography, fine art prints, and salt prints. Maher’s own words are the best when describing the Lomography method.
The Lebanese flag is carried high by the figure of Lea in the masterpiece “Independence,” and other male models dressed in army uniforms are reaching out to touch her. The men stand in for Lebanon’s various political groups. Maher comments on this artwork by saying, “We see her in her splendor, she is still standing high and attempting to protect the flag.” In reality, none of them are able to touch her.
The figure of Lea is shown bearing Lebanon and reaching up a staircase in the masterwork “Diversity.” She is surrounded by four women of different nationalities: Uzbekistani, Palestinian, and Armenian. A man wearing a traditional “tarbouche” is staring at the women in the distant corner. According to Maher, “I’m attempting to represent the diversity of Lebanon, and specifically the diversity of Beirut. Because Beirut, in my opinion, has a big heart; she welcomes and accepts everyone.