TEHRAN, March 18 (MNA) Two Iranian art works, Paradise by Mehrdad Mohebali and Karamali Shirazis acrylic and spray-paint work will be auctioned by Christies Dubai.The Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian & Turkish art including masterpieces from the pharos art collection and from the Maath Alousi collection will go under hammer in 19 March 2014.
Southern Kensington, London, is the office for Christies, the most important art works auctioneer in the world. Along with Sotheby's and Bowman's Auction, it has attracted Irans art works through opening its branches in Arab countries, introducing a new trend in Irans art.
Since few years, art critics and painters criticized the welcome lavished by Iranian artists on such auctions, but one should admit that such auctions reward the Iranian art works with prices never ever imagined in domestic markets for art works.
Iranian artists would expected as before to see Christies Dubai to be held in Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, but Christies announced to hold the auction in March 19 2014 which is on the eve of Iranian New Years Day.
In March 19, Christies Dubai will auction 115 artworks and modern sculpture works from Arab, Turkish, and Iranian artists, with 29 artworks by Iranians. This is for the first time that Christies holds auction in March, reportedly to attract new buyers through incorporating artworks from different nations. Christies Dubai is said to focus on Middle Eastern modern and contemporary artworks. Among Iranian artists, Parviz Tanavoli, Christies fix Iranian element, Seyed Mohammad Ehsayi, Hossein Zenderoudi, Abbas Kiarostami, Karamali Shirazi, Nasrollah Efjei, Masoud Arabshahi, Farhad Moshiri, and Mehrdad Mohebali attend by their works.
Unlike previous auctions, when fake artworks auctioned or sale prices were hugely different with that announced before, concerns have been raised among Iranian lovers of art; however, no one would deny the economic impact of the auction on Iranian art market.
Mohebali is in Christies with his portrait Servants of Humanity. He is painter, university lecturer and a member of Association of Iranian Contemporary Painters. One of my works, Paradise, will go under hammer. It features figures who served humanity, and had brilliantly shined in the history, he told Mehr News. Figures encompass famous physicians, scientists, and figures such as Alfred Hitchcock, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Graham Bell, Madame Curie, Charlie Chaplin, and other figures sitting in an open filed very much like the paradise, he asserted.
He recently held an exhibition of his works in Etemad Art Gallery in Tehran, which were not quite unlike his Paradise. In works exhibited in Etemad, I depicted the history, bringing together a constellation of famous blood-thirsty figures of history, Mohebali told Mehr News.
But in Paradise, which is to be under hammer in Christies Dubai auction, I featured men and women who served human society, he said.
Asked about the technique used in the artwork, he told that he had drawn a very thin contour of the figure such that his true character was not clear. An artworks being in Christies has a great effect on the price of works produced in Iran, since this is a good market for art works, he believed.
Firdausis poem in Shirazis work in Christies
Among the artists who has always in Christies in last three auctions, and Iranian art collectors sell his with so high a price is Karamali Shirazi. After so long years of nastaliq calligraphy practice, Shirazi took a new turn, dedicating his efforts in larger works. Firdausis title of a poem in 150.150 scale is an old work by me which will be hammered this time as before, said he, a collector who purchased the work four years ago has sent it to Christies.
This active calligrapher told that the work In the Name of Gold of Soul and Wisdom, belongs to a collection, Green Invocation.
The work belongs to a series of bold calligraphic works in siah mashq (literary black practice) and is acrylic and spray-paint work, he added.
Art messengers seek success in Christies
In Christies, five Iranian artists will put under hammer more than one work. Four sculptures by Parviz Tanavoli, including Nothing, A Standing Poet, and two-meter fiberglass Nothing Yellow stands with $250,000-350,000 as the highest bid.
Three calligraphy paintings by Seyed Mohammad Ehsayi are also in Christies, with two paintings with $ 80,000-120,000 bids. Farhad Moshiri has three paintings, and his highest bid for one painting is $ 150,000-200,000. Two works by Zenderoudi have a highest bid of $ 100,000-150,000, and Masoud Arabshahis two paintings have given bids of $ 20,000-25,000.
An abstract painting by late Sohrab Sepehri has a bid for $ 60,000-80,000. A photo of a row of trees shot by Kiarostami will also be hammered with $ 30,000-40,000 bid.
Among the posthumous artworks auctioned are works by Lashayi, Rouhbakhsh, Qandriz, Mafi, Tirafkan, and living artists include Kourosh Shishegaran, Manuchihr Yektayi, Derakhshani, Banisadr, and Mohebali.
By Mehr News Agency
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