Maya Rasamny
“Contemporary Art is a social phenomenon, a tool for communication, and the most international language. Art to me has no boundaries.” These words by the late Maya Rasamny perfectly capture her feelings toward a passion that gripped her for most of her life. Now, selected works from her collection will soon be going on auction at Sotheby’s London, a rare chance to own pieces from a widely coveted collection.
The influence Rasamny has had on art is indisputable. Her list of accolades is long and certainly illustrious; from being the first female Chair of the International Circle at The Royal Academy of Arts to her active involvement with Art Dubai, The Arts Club, the ICA, the British Museum, and MoMa, among others. Her crowning glory, however, was her decade-long tenure as co-chair of the Tate’s Middle East and North Africa Acquisitions Committee, during which she enabled the purchase of 85 artworks to enter the Tate collection by 45 artists from the MENA region.
Rayyane Tabet, Steel Rings from The Shortest Distance Between Two Points. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
Even after her passing, Rasamny continues to propagate art from the Arab world as selected works from her collection are offered as part of Sotheby’s 20th Century Middle East auction in London on October 24. Among the highlights, is a socio-political work by Rayanne Tabet, Steel Rings, 2013, which is estimated to be around £12,000 to 18,000. The set of rings represents the land pipeline used to transport oil from Saudi Arabia through Jordan, and Syria to Lebanon. At the height of its use, it crossed the borders of five countries. The sculpture draws upon the powers of minimalism to evoke intricate structures of power, a mission that the artist continues on to this day.
Then there is Marwan Rechmaoui’s The League, 2001-2010, which comprises twenty-two black rubber cut-outs, each representing an Arab country. These blocks are each split along their borders and stand out in relation to their now absent adjoining neighbors. Through this installation, Rechmaoui highlights what he refers to as the ‘missing links,’ the underlying causes and consequences of cultural difference, the exploration of identity, attachment, and its impact on everyday lives.
Youssef Nabil, Shirin Neshat. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
On sale is also a set of hand-colored photographs of artists and cinema icons, including Shirin Neshat, Louise Bourgeois, Ghada Amer, Tracey Emin, and Omar Sharif, by Youssef Nabil. Estimated to be around £5,000 to 7,000 each, the photos perfectly capture the glamour, elegance, and melodrama of twentieth-century Egyptian cinema. Growing up in this golden era populated by stars Nabil, one of the most influential photographers of his generation, manages to recreate dream-like dewy tones of the time.
These are only some of the pieces that will be on auction in an event that celebrates Arab art and the reverence that Rasmany had for the world of art. “It’s not just about buying art for me anymore,” she told Vogue Arabia in 2018. “It’s about powerful connections and inspiring conversations made through art, and how the universal language of creativity can be used for social change. I have a collection, but what has taken over is an adventure of curiosity and discovery.”
Rana Sadik. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
Another Arab woman gripped by this very adventure is Rana Sadik. The Kuwait-based Palestinian seems to transcend labels of any kind as she is at once a collector, patron, curator, and above all, a nonconformist thinker. One of the earliest collectors in the region Sadik has an enviable collection of works that are often based upon the intersection of politics and humanity. A prominent theme amongst these is her own heritage and living culture as an Arab woman.
While she will continue to immerse herself in the world of art Sadik is ready to part with some of the works in her collection – including those by Huguette Caland, Samia Halaby, Afifa Aleiby, Mona Saudi, and Gazbia Sirry. These will be offered alongside the Maya Rasamny collection at Sotheby’s London providing the unique opportunity to witness the curatorial prowess of two women more than well-versed in art and everything that it means.
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