M arking the inaugural online sale by an international auction house in the Middle East, This Too Shall Pass brings together over sixty works from seven of Dubai’s leading art galleries in a project that is the first of its kind.
We are pleased to offer works by established artists alongside rising stars making their auction debut. Viewed together, the works in the auction will open a window into the boundless cultural landscape of the region, for collectors at home and across the globe.
10% of the galleries’ proceeds will be donated to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s response to the pandemic’s impact on refugee families and children across twenty countries in the MENA region.
Participating Galleries
Carbon 12
Green Art Gallery
Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde
Lawrie Shabibi
Leila Heller Gallery
The Third Line
1 x 1 Art Gallery
Australian born of Arabic origins, Jessica Kahawaty is an international model and philanthropist who bridges cultures through her work in the fashion industry and humanitarianism.
An ambassador for some of the world’s exclusive brands, including Valentino and Louis Vuitton, Jessica uses her name and platform to continuously shed light on global issues around the world and empower young women to reach their full potential through education and the arts. With a background in Business Finance and Human Rights Law, Jessica has worked with various NGOs internationally and embarked on humanitarian trips to the most remote regions of the world. She currently sits on the UNICEF Leadership Council.
My personal aesthetic is emotional driven by a narrative. I love art that tells a story, a piece that you can look over and over and always discover or interpret something new about the events. I love art that gets us acquainted with an artist’s heritage or one that is inspired by the current social or political climate. I am drawn to color saturated works with subject matters that alter our perception of nature, people and objects. A vibrant color palette, experimentation with form and installations that emphasize weight and space drew me to Shaikha Al Mazrou’s ‘Isometric’ work from the auction. Another favorite was Aethier’s ‘Tabadul’ as I connected to his nostalgic work. Being born and raised in Australia to Lebanese parents, I related to his diasporic relationship to his foreign homeland, Iraq. Marwan’s ‘Landschaft Marionette’ even though dated 1989 has strong and extremely relevant notions today. The notion of a Marionette is genderless and emits no emotion but it is an object powerful enough to evoke emotion through a narrative. Hoda Tawakol presents a dynamic, mixed media installation called ‘When The Dates turn red’ which I love as it takes a subject that is so traditional, rough and close to nature and presents it in a contemporary way coupled with unorthodox colours . I love that she touches on issues like gender through the protruding red fruit and the comfort of the female body through the soft texture she uses.
We are thrilled to be introducing a new wave of brilliant talent, inspiration and artistry to the auction platform. Celebrated artists such as Shaikha Al Mazrou, Amir Khojasteh, Hamra Abbas, Hasheel Al Lamki and Hoda Tawakol, make their auction debut in this collaborative and community driven sale. Al Mazrou, a finalist of Paulo Cunha e Silva Art Prize in Port, Abbas, a recipient of the Jury prize at Sharjah Biennial 9 and Tawakol, whose works are in major collections such as The Progressive Art Collection in Ohio, are just a few examples of the exceptional new talent on offer, which together, bring a fresh dynamism and energy to this ground-breaking sale.
This Too Shall Pass integrates a wide-ranging fusion of diverse mediums, from Chouki Choukini’s intricate and delicately carved wooden marvels, to Farhad Moshiri’s dazzling beaded Rodeo Cowboy and Monir Fatmi’s antenna cable phenomena. The sale celebrates texture and artistry. Offering a fresh to auction piece by celebrated artist Monir Farmanfarmaian, the sale presents an incredibly rare medium of work in a hand-woven and beautifully lyrical Tabrizi tapestry. The exploration of texture, craftsmanship and material is an impressive affirmation of the extensive creative skill captured within the sale.
Photography has been substantial across the Middle East dating as far back as the 19th Century, when French photographer Félix Bonfils travelled across the region capturing thousands of diverse and significant scenes – of people and places. The turn of the century saw a thriving upsurge of contemporary artists reclaiming their identity through photography – intentionally or not, they steered away from the lens of Voyeur, of a romanticized orientalist narrative of their collective past. We are thrilled to include several examples of contemporary photography with Fouad El Koury’s work – part of his celebrated Suite Égyptienne series, as well as a stunning piece by Zineb Sidera who is scheduled to represent France in the upcoming Venice Biennale and finally, Hassan Hajjaj, who uplifts Moroccan culture with a playful, pop art aesthetic but importantly creates work that is rooted in community and celebrates the individual.
