From 28th February until 3rd March, Sotheby’s Dubai will offer over 80 works of art from the pioneering collection of Abdulrahman Al Zayani, one of the leading art collectors in the Middle East. Al Zayani, who is based between Bahrain and London, has collected a multitude of artworks from the historic Islamic world to modern and contemporary international art and design. His collected works hail from across the Middle East and Africas, by artists from Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and North Africa.
The artists in this collection represent the vast artistic production created over the last century in the Middle East. Exploring various themes and mediums, each work represents a different aesthetic whilst tying into a rich thread of cultural heritage.
Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Specialist, Ashkan Baghestani says, “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. 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.”
In recent years, Al Zayani has also launched A2Z, a luxury advisory service for private clients in New York, London and the Gulf who want to expand their jewelry and collections.
Abdulrahman Al Zayani said in a released statement, “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.” He continued, “As with all journeys, new pathways must be travelled, 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 first unveiling of the collection will take place at Sotheby’s Dubai where 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 will go on view to the public, alongside worldwide auction highlights including jewellery, watches and arts of the Islamic world and India.
This will be followed by an exhibition of the collection in its entirety in London from 21st-25th April, ahead of the live auction on 25th April (alongside which will run Sotheby’s bi-annual 20th Century Art / Middle East online sale, closing on 27th April).
