Patty Maher was born in Toronto and completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in English Literature at the University of Guelph. Maher began her fine art photography career in 2010 and since then her work has been featured on book covers and recognized in numerous online and print publications around the world including a video interview with Yahoo Productions created for the series "The Weekly Flickr". Maher has also received recognition in prestigious photography contests including the PX3 Prie de la Photography Paris, Moscow International Foto Awards, Tokyo Foto Awards, the International Color Awards, Fine Art Photography Awards, and the International Photography Awards. Most recently Maher won the 13th edition of the Julia Margaret Cameron award and was awarded a solo show at Fotonostrum Gallery in Barcelona. She was also named a finalist in the prestigious Hassleblad Masters Competition 2021 in the Art category. Her work has been exhibited internationally and sold throughout the world. Maher's work was also recently included on the list of 35 Most Influential Conceptual Portrait Photographers by the influential ExpertPhotography.com portal.
The inspiration for Maher’s photographic art comes from an exploration of the feminine in the context of natural space. Working primarily through staged portraiture and self-portraiture, Maher is widely known for hiding or obscuring the faces of her subjects, often only using only posture, gesture, symbol and colour to convey emotion and story. Maher explores the inner worlds of her subjects while at the same time considering notions of personal space, identity and the relationship of the individual to the larger world. Her goal with each photo and series is to create pieces that ignite the imagination by disrupting the boundaries between real life and the otherworldly; the surreal and the commonplace. In the telling of visual stories she invites the viewer to become a co-creator in meaning, leaving the stories open ended but touching on basic and universal emotions. Maher believes that space and imagination are the keyways to transformation - both personally and collectively. Her photos attempt to visually represent ideas and concepts that engender transformation.