Randa Mirza

" I am an image-maker; I speak with images. Images are texts. The eye can read between the lines. Using visual language, I intend to reveal the intangible multiple layers that emanates from the physical presence through a mystification of reality. I’ve mainly worked on themes related to my perception of war, bringing to view questions about memory, violence and voyeurism. I have also been exploring issues concerning the Lebanese postwar condition, particularly the reconstruction policy. On another hand, I've worked on gender roles in ritualized performances and gender differences assigned to body shapes. I aim to understand and to translate the complexity of my personal, social, geographical, historical and political reality. " (Randa Mirza)



Randa Mirza: Born in Lebanon in 1978, lives in Beirut.
visual artist: photographer / video artist

Mirza’s been working as an independent photographer since 2003. She also conducts realtime video performances, and directs workshops using photography and video to reflect and communicate on social issues.

After completing a Master in creative advertising at the "Lebanese Academy for Fine Arts (ALBA)" , Mirza graduated from “Paris 8 University” with a BA in fine arts and multimedia studies. She attended photography classes at " Universié Saint-Esprit de Kaslik (USEK)" in Lebanon.

Mirza’s photographic work received the first price at the 5th francophone games and the “NO LIMIT” award at les Rencontres Photographiques d’Arles (2006), an international prize that rewards a photographer or an artist making use of photography whose work takes photography beyond currently acknowledged boundaries. Her work was granted from AFAC (Arab Fund for Art and Culture) and Al-Mawrid Al-Thaqafi. She was artist resident at NIFCA (Nordic Institute for Contemporary Arts) and at HIAP (Helsinki International Artist-in-residence Programme). Mirza is an invited collaborator to the photographic agency Picturtank based in Paris.

Mirza has shown her photographic work in solo at the Finnish Museum of Photography, Sfeir-Semler gallery in Hamburg, (among others). She exhibited within Moving Walls and Phillipes de Pury and venues such as la FIAC (Paris), Miami Basel (USA), Armory show (NY), Art Dubai , Arco Madrid, the Merz foundation (Torino), Witte de with (Rotterdam), Raster Gallery (Warsaw), Fotomuseum Winterthur (Switzerland), Darat Al-funun (Amman), Aleppo international photography festival, Fotofestival Mannheim-Ludwigshafen-Heidelberg, (among others).

Mirza performed live video sets at Medialab Prado and Matadore Madrid within LaptopsRus and at Timitar music festival in Morocco, (among others).