Christie’s announced its online auction of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, live for browsing from April 17 and open for bidding from April 24 to May 8. Reflecting the dynamic art scene in the region, the auction presents a compelling selection of artworks that highlight the rich and diverse artistic production from the Gulf, the Levant, Iraq, Iran and North Africa. The sale features 69 works encompassing modern and contemporary periods, including paintings, works on paper, photography and sculpture.
Leading the sale is the mesmerizing "Water Lilies" by pioneering female artist Samia Halaby. Painted in 2013, this is part of the artist’s later body of work, characterized by her departure from the use of sharp geometric shapes to more organic, lyrical forms inspired by the complex geometry of nature.
Notably, this season, Halaby leads a strong group of works by female artists, which together represent over one-third of the sales. This significant group pays tribute to their artistic contributions, playing a pivotal role in the evolving artistic landscape of the region. Halaby is joined by other prominent female names, including Etel Adnan, Helen Kahal, Huguette Caland, Tala Madani and Tagreed Darghouth.
In recent years, artists from Saudi Arabia have gained increasing prominence within the contemporary art market. Christie’s continues to champion this vibrant artistic scene on the international stage, both through auctions and non-selling exhibitions. Saudi Now! Comprises of 12 works by Saudi Arabian artists which trace the cultural landscape of the Kingdom – from modern masters such as Mohamed Al Saleem and Abdulhalim Radwi to celebrated contemporary names including Ahmed Mater and Manal AlDowayan and the new generation of artists such as Nasser Al Salem and Moath Alofi who are based in JAX district, Riyadh’s creative hub.
With a growing international interest and demand in art from North Africa, the sale features a strong selection of artists from the Maghreb, including Mohamed Melehi, Mahjoub Ben Bella, Khaled Ben Slimane, Malika Agueznay, and Hassan Hajjaj. A highlight in this section is a late wave painting by Moroccan Mohamed Melehi, a key figure of the Casablanca School. Drawing inspiration from Moroccan-Berber traditional arts and crafts, Melehi explored transnational abstraction through his iconic wave motif and bold use of color.
Other highlights of the sale include "Eyn + Eyn," a masterpiece by Charles Hossein Zenderoudi, which was featured in the groundbreaking show "Iranian Contemporary Art" at the Barbican Centre in London in 2001. Executed in 1976, "Untitled" is an early example from Marwan’s iconic Head series in which the artist employs expressive brushstrokes to explore the emotional depth of the human visage. Also featured is Nabil Nahas’ "Untitled" from the celebrated Fractal series, in which he mixes acrylic paint with pumice to create his distinctively sculptural surfaces reminiscent of coral reefs in tropical seas.
Following the strong results of works sold by Christie’s from the Dalloul Art Collection over the last two years, we are proud to offer three outstanding works from this collection – a rare work on paper by Egyptian female modernist Inji Efflatoun, together with two paintings by Nabil Anani and Karim Abou Shakra.