Mari Mahr was born into a Hungarian Jewish family in Santiago, Chile on 16 March 1941. When she was eight years old, the family returned to Hungary. After studying journalism and training as a photographer in Budapest, Mahr immigrated to London in 1972 to further her photography studies, subsequently establishing herself as an important photographer, known for her widely exhibited, surreal and poetic, black and white images.
Photographer Mari Mahr was born into a Hungarian Jewish on 16 March 1941 in Santiago, Chile to a linguist and communist mother and a Bauhaus-educated, left-wing, architect father. Her parents fled to Chile with the onset of Nazism in Europe. When she was eight years old, the family returned to Budapest. In the early 1960s, inspired by Jean Seberg’s portrayal of an aspiring journalist in Jean-Luc Godard’s À Bout de Souffle, Mahr decided to attend the School of Journalism in Budapest. Around the same time, she began working as a trainee press photographer in the Cultural Department of the Hungarian News Agency and spent much of her time in cinemas watching Nouvelle Vague films, which had a significant influence on her. In the following years, Mahr undertook an intensive photographic apprenticeship under influential figures in Hungarian photojournalism, including Endre Friedman and Gábor Pálfai. After relocating to London in 1972, Mahr enrolled in a BA in Photographic Arts at the Polytechnic of Central London (now the University of Westminster), where her teachers included Derek Drage, Gus Wylie, Margaret Harker, and Victor Burgin.
Mahr’s style consists of surrealistic compositions and a poetic approach that transforms ordinary objects into something unorthodox. By creating unusual juxtapositions, fragmenting the form, or playing with scale, she subverts architectural elements and everyday features to create a playful narrative. Her regular use of black-and-white photography enhances both contrast and abstraction, fostering a somewhat nostalgic yet whimsical atmosphere. She often incorporates parts of the human form, which are frequently oversized, creating incongruous elements that invite imaginative engagement. This approach highlights the tension between the real and the surreal. Her work aligns with the avant-garde tradition, challenging conventional perceptions and invoking a dreamlike quality or a playful world inhabited by whimsical creatures and people. Her narratives unfold in a manner reminiscent of cinematic storytelling reminiscent of the Nouvelle Vague films she watched in Hungary. Mahr has acknowledged that: ‘My work is on the borders of art practice and photography, but I have always considered myself a photographer. I trained as a photographer and that remained with me,’ (Mahr quoted in The Telegraph, 2014).
Mahr’s career has been marked by over 60 exhibitions worldwide. Her first solo exhibition was held at the Photographers’ Gallery in London in 1977, initiating a long-standing association with the gallery that continues to this day. A British Council retrospective brought her work to audiences in her birthplace of Santiago, as well as Argentina, Hungary, Spain, and Greece. In 1980, her work featured in a group show at London's Serpentine Gallery. Mahr was married to New Zealander, Graham Percy, who passed away in 2008. Shortly afterwards, she began a series titled Inventory of Ourselves, in which she integrated some of his sketches, along with personal items from her family, into her work, photographing them as part of the series. The series also includes photographs that explore the (Jewish) motif of the flying man, reflecting Mahr’s deep-seated fear of loved ones suddenly disappearing, as well as images of her Brazilian-born friend and neighbour’s daughter. Mahr also developed a long-term professional relationship with gallerist, Zelda Cheatle (formerly of the Photographer's Gallery) who exhibited her work and represented her for over a decade. In 2019, the Photographers’ Gallery presented Focus on the Wall, offering a comprehensive look at her contribution to contemporary photography. More recent exhibitions include
In addition to her photographic practice and exhibition, Mahr has received several awards and published books She has also lectured at art schools and universities across the UK, including the Royal College of Art, Glasgow School of Art, and Napier University in Edinburgh. In 1989, Mahr received the Fox Talbot Award from the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in the UK. A significant milestone came in 1998 with the publication of Between Ourselves: The Photographs of Mari Mahr, featuring contributions by Amanda Hopkinson, daughter of émigré photographer, Gerti Deutsch. Mari Mahr lives and works between London and Berlin, but with a base in the former. Her works are represented in numerous UK public collections, including the Arts Council, British Council, Contemporary Arts Society, Falmouth Art Gallery, Kettle’s Yard, National Galleries of Scotland, National Museum of Photography, Film & TV, V&A, and Warwick University Collection, among others.