Inspired by the brilliant exhibition currently showing at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, entitled: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940–70, running through to 7 May 2023, we chose a selection of female artists whose artistic practice ranged from Surrealism, Abstraction, through to Expressionism.

Female Artists Through Surrealism, Abstraction, and Expressionism

Scenes of 60s Hollywood glamour, rock and roll and loud vibrant Bel Air parties stand against late-night Tehran dinners filled with artists, academics, statesmen and foreign dignitaries. Traditionally notions of East and West tend to bring to mind inherent differences, but beneath the obvious there also lies a world of shared hopes and dreams, pivotal epochs filled with common visions and intersections. Such is the story of the Azari Collection, seemingly rooted in disparate sensibilities and environments, but in reality, born in that prescient space wherein known and unknown merge together to create something wholly new.

The Azari Collection

Discover the Azari Collection

Haig Tufenkjian, one of Paul Guiragossian’s earliest admirers and collectors, can be seen standing here with the artist and two of the works featured in the sale at Galerie Mouffe in Paris in 1962. This solo exhibition represented a pivotal moment in the artist’s career. Sotheby’s is honoured to offer these works which come directly from Tufenkjian’s family.

Artist and Patron: Paul Guiragossian and Haig Tufenkjian

London

Director | Head of Sale, Modern &amp; Contemporary Middle East

Alexandra Yasmina Roy

SVP | Head of Contemporary Day Sale, Contemporary Art, New York &amp; Middle East

Ashkan Baghestani

Deputy Chairman, Middle East

Katia Nounou Boueiz

Deputy Director | Client Liaison | MENA

Yasmeen Gailani

Research Assistant

Angela Qin

Meet our Specialists

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Sotheby’s upcoming 20th Century Art / Middle East online-only sale brings together a tightly curated selection of 66 artworks encompassing the creative spirit of artists from North Africa, Turkey, Iran and the Middle East. The sale is led by an important painting by Aref El Rayess from his iconic desert series produced when he was living in Jeddah. Further highlights include rare works by Marcos Gregorian, Huguette Caland, Manoucher Yektai, Paul Guiragossian and Juliana Seraphim. A portion of the sale is composed of various abstract works by artists such as Mohammed Melehi, Douglas Abdell, Sohrab Sepehri, Shakir Hassan, Mohsen Vaziri Moghaddam and Nadia Saikali amongst others. 