Gazbia Sirry, The Garden, 1959. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
Art enthusiasts can look forward to another incredible auction by Sotheby’s, which offers over 80 works by Arab artists from the collection of Abdulrahman Al Zayani and his family. Based between Bahrain and London, Al Zayani is known as one of the leading collectors in the Middle East and has brought together a number of pieces ranging from historic Islamic to modern and contemporary international art in his home in Bahrain. Artists in this collection hail from Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and North Africa and signify the Middle East’s burgeoning talent in the world of art across various themes and mediums.
Fahrelnissa Zeid, Erbil: Realites nouvelles, circa 1960-65 (bottom left), and Hamed Nada, Les Chanteuses, 1990 (top right). Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
Highlights from the collection will be first unveiled in Sotheby’s Dubai from February 28 to March 3. This includes works by Abdel Hadi El-Gazzar, Hassan Hajjaj, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Hatem El-Mekki, Mahmoud Moussa, Mohammed Melehi, Fouad Kamel, Gazbia Sirry, Farid Belkahia, Behjat Sadr, and Taner Ceylan. The entire collection will then be showcased at Sotheby’s London from April 21, ahead of the live auction on April 25.
Ayman Baalbaki, Mulatham, 2013. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
“As I open the doors to my collection, the overarching sense is that these pieces were acquired with love, and I am excited for them to go to new homes where they will be discovered and appreciated anew,” Al Zayani states. “As with all journeys, new pathways must be traveled, and so with this auction I am opening a new chapter of both my story and the story of these timeless artworks. The world of Middle Eastern art has transformed since I first started almost two decades ago, and I am proud to witness and be a part of that evolution, living in a region that is now becoming one of the cultural hubs of the world.” The collector is also the founder of a luxury advisory service named A2Z, which serves private clients in New York, London, and the Gulf looking to expand their jewelry and collections.
Fouad Kamel, Untitled (The Drinker). Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
“Showcasing works from the early part of Abdulrahman Al Zayani’s distinguished collecting career, this auction follows the journey of a collector who started very young, with a clear vision and bold taste, and believed in works from across the breadth of the Middle East,” adds Ashkan Baghestani, Sotheby’s contemporary art specialist adds. “Bringing together the best of the best from this field, the sale marks a unique opportunity for budding collectors to acquire rare and important works from artistic masters from the Middle East.”
