MODERN & CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN ART
WEDNESDAY IST MAY 2024
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MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN ART
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION:
25 Blythe Road, London W14 0PD
AUCTION:
Wednesday 1st May 2024, 12pm, precisely
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 28th April, 12pm to 4pm
Monday 29th April, 10am to 8pm
Tuesday 30th April, 10am to 5pm
SALE NUMBER OA0139
MOHAMED CHARINDA (TANZANIAN 1947-2021)
UNTITLED
signed CHARINDA lower left oil on canvas
54.5 x 75.5cm; 21 1/2 x 29 3/4in (unframed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner Charinda was born in Tanzania in the village of Nakupanya, Tunduru District, Ruvuma Region. In 1972, he moved to Dar es Salaam and from 1974 trained under the artist Hashim Mruta. He is one of the earliest and most recognised followers of the Tingatinga school of art, founded by Edward Saidi Tingatinga (1932-72). Artists of the Tingatinga school commonly depict idealised nature and the people and culture of Tanzania in a colourful, naïve style. Contrary to his fellow apprentices, Charinda’s subject matter focuses on Tanzanian history, often portraying warfare, the East African slave trade, folk tales and scenes of rural life. He was one of the first artists to introduce different media and techniques to the practice. For instance, he used canvas instead of masonite panels, which allowed tourists to carry them home easily, making the art more marketable.
As a member of the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society, Charinda’s work has been exhibited in Switzerland and Paris at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Tresors de L’Islam en Afrique: De Tombouctou à Zanzibar. His work can also be found in the Brtish Museum and Indigo Arts in Philadelphia, USA.
£300-500
Property from a Private Collection, London 2
HENDRICK LILANGA (TANZANIAN B.1974)
THE DENTIST TREATING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES signed H. lilanga lower right; signed and titled in Swahili on the reverse oil and watercolour on canvas 99 x 99cm; 39 x 39in (unframed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Lilanga was born in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, in 1974. From a young age, his acclaimed artist grandfather, George Lilanga, taught Lilanga how to paint and draw in the popular Tanzanian art style of the Tingatinga school of art. Lilanga’s works are heavily derived from this style, which features colourful naïve depictions of stereotypical and idealised imagery of Tanzania including its wildlife, landscapes, and people. Lilanga is also influenced by the Makonde woodcarvers (from which the Tingatinga style draws influence), along with his long stays in Japan and South Korea. £500-800
Property from a Private Collection, London
HENDRICK LILANGA (TANZANIAN B.1974) FRIENDS
signed H. lilanga lower right; titled in Swahili on the reverse
oil and watercolour on canvas 109 x 45cm; 43 x 17 3/4in (unframed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
See note to previous lot.
£500-800
Property from a Private Collection, London
4
MAURUS MICHAEL MALIKITA (TANZANIAN B.1967)
UNTITLED
signed MALIKITA lower right oil and pen on canvas
60 x 60cm; 23 1/2 x 23 1/2in (unframed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Born in Nachingwea, where he trained and worked initially as a carpenter, Malikita has been a member of the the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative at Morogoro Stores in Dar es Salaam since 1988.
Although surrounded by the other artists of the Cooperative who paint in a more conventional Tingatinga style, Malikita has been able to carve out his own niche by developing an original personal ‘cartoon’ style, as seen in the present work, where he depicts a ritualistic scene.
With his humorous paintings, Malikita’s other favourite themes are chaotic cities, and the hectic operations at public hospitals (such as at the public Muhimbili Hospital in Dar es Salaam) or the expulsion of street vendors by the town municipality.
£300-500
Property from a Private Collection, London
5
MSHANA MZUGUNO (TANZANIAN B.1983)
UNTITLED signed By Mshana Mzuguno lower centre oil and pen on canvas 100 x 80cm; 39 1/3 x 31 1/2in (unframed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner £300-500
6
GEORGE LILANGA (TANZANIAN 1934-2005)
DANCING FIGURES
signed Lilanga lower right oil on cut metal 123 x 124.5cm; 48 1/2 x 49in
George Lilanga belonged to the Makonde people and lived most of his life in Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. Featured in a number of landmark exhibitions devoted to African art, including the international touring African Remix (2004), and African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection (Museum of Fine Art, Houston 2005), Lilanga became the foremost Tanzinian artist from his generation and was hailed as the leading African artist by the influential art collector, Jean Pigozzi.
Initially, he worked in the Makonde artistic tradition of carving wooden sculptures. However after having been exposed to the work of other artists at the cultural centre Nyumba ya Sanaa (House of Art), he transformed his typical sculptural forms into two-dimensional art works such as paintings, etchings or panels (as in the present work). Developing his own style out of the Shetani (devils) figures of the modern Makonde sculptures, his paintings are characterised by their colourful irony, reflecting everyday life in Tanzania.
£1,000-2,000
MURAINA OYELAMI (NIGERIAN B.1940)
FAMILY MANSION
signed and dated MURAINA OYELAMI / 81 lower right; titled FAMILY MANSION lower left oil on board
78.5 x 120.5cm; 31 x 47 1/2in
92.5 x 134.5cm; 36 1/2 x 53in (framed)
Chief Muraina Oyelami was born in Iragbiji, Nigeria of Yoruba descent. A man of two worlds, Oyelami is known by many as a master painter while others know him as a great performing artist in music and theatre. He began as an artist in 1964 fresh from the famous Osogbo Art School initiated by Professor Ulli Beier and his wife Georgina Beier. He specialised in Theatre Design at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, where he later taught traditional music from 1975-1987.
Oyelami’s themes are influenced by Yoruba culture, and the subject matter of his landscapes and portraits are often derived from daily life and individuals. Oyelami’s early oil paintings involved abstract representations of life in the city, while by the 1980s his work had become more figurative, trending towards more generic themes.
Chief Oyelami founded the Obatala Center for Creative Arts in 1987 to promote traditional arts and culture and has exhibited his works and performed traditional and fusion music in many parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the USA. He lives and works in Iragbiji in southwestern Nigeria.
£1,000-1,500
Property
MURAINA OYELAMI (NIGERIAN B.1940)
EXTENDED FAMILY II
signed and dated MURAINA / OYELAMI 1980; titled EXTENDED FAMILY II lower right oil on board
89 x 120cm; 35 x 47 1/4in 103 x 134cm; 40 1/2 x 52 3/4in (framed)
£1,000-1,500
Property from a Private Collection, London
9
UFUOMA ONOBRAKPEYA (NIGERIAN B.1971)
ON THE LAGOS LAGOON
signed and dated UFUOMA / ONOBRAKPEYA / 2006 lower right oil on canvas
91.5 x 122cm; 36 x 48in
95 x 125cm; 37 1/2 x 49 1/4in (framed)
Provenance
Sale, Bonhams, Africa Now, 16 March 2011, lot 10
Purchased at the above auction by the present owner
Ufuoma Onobrakpeya is a third generation artist. His grandfather, Obi Omonedo Onobrakpeya, was a carver and his father, Bruce Onobrakpeya, was a professor at Benin University where he taught Onobrakpeya fine art and printmaking. He continued his studies at Camberwell College of Art, London, where he completed an MA in printmaking in 2002.
£500-800
Property from a Private Collection, London 10
TOLA WEWE (NIGERIAN B.1959)
(i) MAN & WOMAN;
(ii) WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE - A PAIR
(i) signed and dated tola wewe / 2008 lower right both acrylic on canvas
each 16 x 16cm; 6 1/4 x 6 1/4in
each 45 x 45cm; 17 3/4 x 17 3/4in (framed) (2)
Born in Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria, Wewe graduated in Fine Art from the University of Ife in 1983 and obtained a MA in African Visual Arts from University of Ibadan, Oyo State in 1986.
Wewe’s style draws from the Ona symbols of the Yoruba and his themes project traditional folklore and the myths of his native Yoruba culture. He is a founding member of the Ona movement (established in February 1989), comprising a group of artists committed to pursuing artistic excellence through the adaptation and interpretation of traditional materials and methods, using forms and styles of contemporary Yoruba art and design.
During his early career, Wewe’s work was characterised by three principal influences: first, his formal academic training at Ife, second, his master’s research into the Ijaw water spirit mask, and finally the Yoruba society. Wewe describes himself more as a witness than an author, ‘communicating with the spirits of the ancestors, and drawing out the invisible spirits - the anjonnu, emere and the ebora - who make the art works…I am the vehicle, and they are the drivers. We go on these strange journeys to the most remote ends of imaginative experience’.
£200-300
Property from a Private Collection, London 11
ATO DELAQUIS (GHANAIAN B.1945)
MARKET LANE - ROOFTOPS signed Ato Delaquis lower left; signed, titled and inscribed
“MARKET LANE - ROOFTOPS” / ATO DELAQUIS / ACRYLIC on the reverse acrylic on canvas 101 x 71cm; 39 3/4 x 28in 106.5 x 76.5cm; 42 x 30in (framed)
Born in Cape Coast, Ato Delaquis is one of Ghana’s foremost artists and a leading figure in the Ghanaian artistic renaissance. Known for his iconic paintings of horsemen and landscapes, as well as his abstract works, Delaquis is a prolific draughtsman, and experiments with a wide variety of media including prints, watercolour, and etchings. He attended the prestigious Achimota School in Accra and earned a Certificat de fin d’Etudes from Ecole ABC de Paris (1964). He later received his BA in Fine Art from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana (1971), and completed his MA in Fine Art from the Tyler School of Art, Temple University, U.S.A. (1975). Awards have included a Bronze Medal at the International Graphic Art Exhibition in Leipzig, Warsaw (1966); the National Art Exhibitions Award in Ghana (1968 & 1970); and the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (ECRAG) Award for outstanding contribution to the development of African Culture in the field of Painting (1988); among others.
Ato Delaquis has exhibited widely and his works are in private collections in Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australia.
£600-800
Property from a Private Collection, London
12
ROBERT ARYEETEY (GHANAIAN B.1969)
COWLANE (ACCRA CENTRAL)
signed ARYEETEY lower right; signed, titled and inscribed “COWLANE” / (ACCRA CENTRAL) / ROBERT ARYEETEY / GHANA 103 on the reverse
acrylic on canvas
45 x 58cm; 17 3/4 x 22 3/4in
56 x 69cm; 22 x 27in (framed)
Robert Aryeetey attended the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, where he gained his BA in Painting from the College of Art in 1990 and an MA in Art Education in 1993. Classically trained, his works focus on everyday life, including street scenes and fishermen. His characteristic bold colour palette brings these scenes to life. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions at the Artists Alliance Gallery, 1999 and as Artist of the Month at The Loom Gallery, Accra, 1993. His work was also shown at the Black Swan Gallery, Wimbeldon, London, 2003, the Golden Tulip, Accra, 2003, and the Bettie Morton Gallery, Brixton, London, 2004.
£200-300
Property from a Private Collection, London
ABLADE GLOVER (GHANAIAN B.1934)
UNTITLED
signed Glo lower right oil on canvas
102 x 152cm; 40 x 59 3/4in
106 x 156.5cm; 41 3/4 x 61 1/2in (framed)
Glover is an artist and educator who has exhibited his art internationally, building a reputation over several decades as a significant artist and icon on the contemporary West African art scene. He graduated from the Kumasi University of Science and Technology in teacher training education, the Central School of Art and Design in London in textile design (1959-62), and the University of Newcastle on Tyne (1964-65) in art education. He continued his artistic studies in the United States, earning an MFA at Kent State University (1971-72), and a PhD in Fine Arts at Ohio State University (1972-74). After his PhD, Glover taught at the College of Art at Kumasi University until 1998 where he became the Head of Department and Dean of the School of Fine Arts.
Glover’s fascination with movement and colourful energy is evident in the palette knife application of thick impasto layers. In his abstraction of the crowd scenes, Glover draws the eye to the gestures of jagged movements accentuated by bursts of colour. He explores the theme of crowds in his body of work, within various scenes at marketplaces, city centres, beaches, bus stations and busy streets.
Glover has been honoured with numerous awards for his artistic excellence and contributions to the growth of the Ghanaian art scene, including the Flagstar Award from the Arts Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (1998), the Alumni Award from the African-American Institute in New York (1998), the Order of the Volta in Ghana (2007), and the Millennium Excellence Award in 2010. He is a permanent member of the Royal Society of Arts in London. His works have been featured in many exhibitions internationally and esteemed collections worldwide, from the Royal Collection of Prince and Princess Takamado in Tokyo, Japan, to the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
£2,500-4,500
Property from a Private Collection, UK 14
KAGISO PATRICK MAUTLOA (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1952)
UNTITLED
photocollage with oil, laid on canvas 140 x 190cm; 55 x 74 3/4 in (unframed)
Kagiso Patrick Mautloa was born in Ventersdorp, Western Transvaal. While still at high school, Mautloa studied art at the Jubilee Art Centre in 1969 and at the Mofolo Park Arts Centre in Soweto until 1975. In 1970 he was awarded an OK Bazaars Bursary, which spent at Rorke’s Drift (1978-1980). In 1980 he started working for the OK Bazaars as a junior graphic artist, while also teaching art part-time at the Mofolo Arts Centre and at FUBA (Federated Union of Black Artists Arts Centre). In 1981, Mautloa joined the SABC (The South African Broadcasting Corporation) as a graphic designer.
Mautloa is a committee member of the Thupelo Art Project and has participated in its yearly workshops. His work has been exhibited at the UFH Annual Exhibitions and the UZ African Art Festival Exhibitions. He currently lives in Alexandra, South Africa, and produces commercial graphic design as well as his own art work.
Mautloa says about his works, that they are ‘observations of objects found on the vibrant streets in the city, not only for their visual qualities but as [a] repository of our quotidan practice.’
£3,000-5,000
Property from a Private Collection, Cambridge 15
ALEXANDER ROSE-INNES (SOUTH AFRICAN 1915-1996)
ANDRUP LOUNGE
signed in English A Rose-Innes lower left oil on canvas
48 x 59.5cm; 19 x 23 1/2in
57.5 x 70.5cm; 22 3/4 x 27 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist
Thence by direct descent to The DinksFãStan Private Collection
Rose-Innes was a frequent visitor to the home of home of Hans Jor gen Andrup in Cape Town. Born in 1918 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Andrup was an actor in his youth appearing in Danish films. He first arrived in Cape Town in 1952 with first wife Kirsten Lette and their only child from Sweden, where the family had sought refuge during the German occupation of Denmark in the Second World War. He lived in Namibia from 1962 to 1974. He worked as an architect and was also producer and director of drama for SWAPAC until 1973. In Namibia (formerly South West Africa), he married his second wife Gertrud Marie Andrup, née Henning, in 1971.
£6,000-8,000
Property from a Private Collection, Cambridge 16
ISABEL LE ROUX (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1943) TOWN SCENE
signed and dated ISABEL / LE ROUX 85 lower left oil on board
58 x 75cm; 22 3/4 x 29 1/2in
69 x 86cm; 27 x 34in (framed)
Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection
£300-500
Property from a Private Collection, Cambridge 17
JOHANNES MEINTJES (SOUTH AFRICAN 1923-1980) FULL MOON
signed and dated 1960 / Meintjes lower left oil on board
63.5 x 44cm; 25 x 17 1/4in
90 x 68.5cm; 35 1/2 x 27in (framed)
Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection
Johannes Meintjes was a prolific painter, broadcaster, historian, diarist, costume and set designer, playwright and author (publishing 35 books).
Growing up on a sheep farm near Moltena, after his father’s death in 1928, the family moved to Riversdale. Whilst there, Meintjes became friendly with the elderly JEA Volschenk, who encouraged him to draw and paint at any early age. After the family moved to Cape Town in 1938, the artist met Maggie Laubser, which was the start of a close and long-lasting friendship and inspiration for his work. Meintjes took up formal studies under Florence Zerffi and whilst under her tutelage, he began to experiment with a new Expressionist style of language, to the admonitions of his tutor. From the beginning, Meintjes’ characteristically non-conformant canvases were redolent of his childhood - layered with emotional romanticism and the sadness of adolescent longing.
Meintjes’ first exhibition at the Gainsborough Gallery in Johannesburg in 1944 brought him immediate public adulation and provided him with the funds to study abroad. In 1945, he enrolled at the Central School of Art in London, and later, back in Cape Town, he worked as an artist, broadcaster and writer. He lectured at the Worcester School of Drama and at the Cape Technical College.
He participated in solo and group exhibitions throughout his life, both in South Africa and internationally, and his works are present in numerous collections, both private and public, such as the Pretoria Art Museum, AC White Gallery, Bloemfontein, Rembrandt Art Foundation and Schlesinger Foundation.
£800-1,200
Property from a Private Collection, Cambridge 18
AMOS ARCHIBALD LANGDOWN (SOUTH AFRICAN 1930-2006)
CATCH OF THE DAY
signed A.A. LANGDOWN. lower right oil on canvas
58.5 x 43cm; 23 x 17in 102 x 86cm; 40 x 34in (framed) Provenance
The DinksFãStan Private Collection
Langdown, born in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, was a graphic artist and painter of landscapes, town scenes, and figures. He experimented with many types of prints, producing lithographs, woodcuts, etchings, drypoints, monotypes, and copper engravings. However, his preferred medium was oil painting. His Daumieresque draughtsmanship earned him glowing plaudits from critics and selection panels. Technically accomplished in both linear and tonal compositions, his social commentary is informed with pungent wit and sympathetic insight.
Langdown began studying art privately under South African artist Katrine Harries (1914-1978). The influence and guidance of Harries is discernible in his work, which always has a firm basis in sound drawing, composition and graphic quality. While continuing to practise art part-time at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town, Langdown formally trained as a teacher at the Zonnebloem College in Cape Town. He was involved in the South African schooling system for many years, maintaining a balance between his artistic practice and his passion for teaching.
Langdown’s first solo exhibition in Cape Town in 1960 earned him a bursary from the Cape Tercentenary Foundation, which he used to further his studies at the Rijks Academy in Amsterdam from 1963-64. Here he learned many painting techniques and developed his painting style.
Langdown’s work was featured in various international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale (1965) and the Sub-Saharan African Exhibition, which toured the US between 1966-68. His works are also part of several overseas and local collections, such as the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC and the Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town.
£1,500-3,500
Property from a Private Collection, London
19
HELEN SEBIDI (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1943)
STILL GOING ON
signed, titled and numbered A / P “Still going on” M.M.H. Sebidi lower margin lithograph
42.5 x 35cm; 16 3/4 x 13 3/4in
79.5 x 68cm; 31 1/4 x 26 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from Ellerman House, Cape Town in 1998 by the present owner
Born in Marapyane, near Hammanskraal, Sebidi is celebrated as one of South Africa’s most influential artists. She developed a life-long love for the designs of traditional arts and craft which she learnt from her grandmother who was a decorative wall and floor painter. She began painting herself after working as a domestic worker in Johannesburg. Coming from a humble family with limited means and little formal education, Sebidi pursued her nascent sense of creativity in her own time, until her work was discovered by her employer, who, astonished by her talent, encouraged her to paint.
Sebidi’s works are dense and exuberant; they pulsate with energy. Strange figures, some fantastical and mythological, and some drawn from her own richly storied history, jostle for space on the crowded canvases and prints, at times evoking a sense of celebration and, at other times, of terror and loss. In 1985, she had her first solo show at the influential Federated Union of Black Artists in Newtown. Sebidi has won several awards, including Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Award, 1989, the Vita Award, 1990, and South Africa’s prestigious Order of Ikhamanga in 2004.
£300-500
EMNA ZGHAL (TUNISIAN B.1970)
STONE HEADS
signed, titled, inscribed and dated “Stone Heads” mixed media 2000 / Emna Zghal on the reverse mixed media on canvas
61 x 91.5cm; 24 x 36in (unframed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner £600-900
“Being an engraver allows the painter that I am to duplicate myself and achieve everything that I can’t do in painting.”Malika Agueznay
Property from a Private Collection, London 21
MALIKA AGUEZNAY (MOROCCAN B.1938) UNTITLED
signed and dated Malika agueznay / 2020 lower right oil on canvas
110 x 90cm; 43 1/3 x 35 1/2in
115 x 95cm; 45 1/4 x 37 1/2in (framed)
To be sold with a Certificate of Authenticity from So Art Gallery Provenance
Acquired from So Art Gallery, Casablanca
Malika Agueznay, born in Marrakech in 1938, currently lives and works in Casablanca. She stands as a trailblazing figure in the art world, particularly as the foremost female pioneer in contemorary abstract art. Her contributions have been instrumental in shaping Moroccan modernity, alongside prominent figures of the Casablanca Art School, as they collectively forged new codes and forms within the artistic landscape. The only female member of the School, Malika Agueznay studied and honed her skills at the sides of emblematic figures such as Mohamed Melehi and Farid Belkahia.
In 1966, after an initial pursuit of scientific studies, Agueznay embarked on her artistic journey at the Casablanca School of Fine Arts under the guidance of Farid Belkahia. Immersed in the milieu of Moroccan modernity, she engaged in critical discourse with fellow artists, exploring the intersection of art with politics and society. Together, they delved into the realms of contemporary painting, focusing on the nuances of form, line, geometry, and pure colour. This collaborative environment fostered Agueznay’s individual artistic inquiry, a journey she has continued to pursue across various media throughout her life.
In 1978, Agueznay’s artistic exploration found new vigour through her discovery of engraving at the Moussem (annual regional festival) of Asilah, a coastal village in Morocco. Liberated from concerns about form and content legibility, her friend, the anthropologist Bert Flint (1931-2022), attested to her unmatched prowess in this realm among her peers. Balancing her roles as an artist and a young mother, Agueznay sought tutelage in New York under renowned engravers such as Mohamad Omar Khalil, Krishna Ready and Robert Blackburn to refine her technique. She further honed her skills at Atelier 17 in Paris. True to the ethos of the Casablanca Art School, Agueznay returns every year to Asilah to lead the engraving workshop during the Moussem £9,000-12,000
Property from a Private Collection, London 22
MALIKA AGUEZNAY (MOROCCAN B.1938)
UNTITLED signed and dated - Malika Agueznay - / 2013 - lower right oil on canvas
80 x 60cm; 31 1/2 x 23 1/2in
85 x 65cm; 33 1/2 x 25 1/2in (framed)
To be sold with a Certificate of Authenticity from So Art Gallery
Provenance
Acquired from So Art Gallery, Casablanca
£4,000-6,000
Property
23
⊕ ‡ BAYA MAHIEDDINE (ALGERIAN 1931-1998)
L’AUBE ET LE POISSON signed and dated in Arabic, Baya 1976 lower centre; inscribed Baya on the reverse gouache and watercolour on paper 100 x 100cm; 39 1/3 x 39 1/3in (framed)
Provenance
Private Collection France
Literature
Kathryn Kaiser, Art Blog, Baya Mahieddine, 2017 £10,000-15,000
Property from a Private Collection, London
24
FATIMA HASSAN EL FAROUJ (MOROCCAN 1945-2011)
LA FETE
signed and dated in Arabic and English FH / 80 F.H lower centre oil on canvas
38 x 45cm; 15 x 17 3/4in
48 x 65cm; 18 3/4in x 251/2in
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity from Mazad & Art, Tangier Provenance
Acquired from Mazad & Art, Tangier
Born in 1945 in Tetouan, Morocco, Fatima El-Farouj was a self-taught artist introduced to painting by her husband, the painter Hassan El-Farouj. In the 1960s, she started developing her exclusive style. Living and working in Rabat, she worked as a seamstress and transferred the skills she had gained in embroidery, sewing, and henna tattoo onto her canvases. Her free expression and naïve style evoke her craft, revealing an imaginary, joyous, universe full of vivid colours and symbols. Depicting genre scenes, landscapes, local customs, and celebration, they invite the viewer on a journey or even a dream where the Morocco and African aspects are omnipresent.
Together with Chaibia Tallal, she is regarded as one of the most talented Moroccan female artists of her generation. Her works can be found in important international collections, including that the of Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut.
£2,000-4,000
Property from a Private Collection, London
MAHI
BINEBINE (MOROCCAN B.1959)
UNTITLED
signed in Arabic Mahi Binebine and numbered 11/30 lower right lithograph on paper
98 x 74cm; 38 1/2 x 29in
114 x 91cm; 44 3/4 x 35 3/4in (framed)
Executed in 2023
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity from the artist Provenance
Born in Marrakesh, Mahi Binebine moved to Paris in 1980 to pursue his studies in mathematics (which he then taught for eight years). Binebine’s artistic journey began when he visited a museum in Paris for the first time: ‘We had nothing of the kind in Morocco, and I was dazzled by this world that I discovered at 18.’ This visit ignited a passion for art and literature that would inspire his lifelong creativity and self-expression. After writing his first novel, Le sommeil de l’esclave in 1992, he moved to New York in 1994, where his paintings became part of the permanent collection at the Guggenheim Museum. He returned to France in 1999 but due to its tense political climate, he decided to return to his hometown of Marrakech in 2002, where he currently lives and works as an artist, curator and author.
To date, Mahi has written twelve novels and his books have been translated in more than fifteen languages, whilst his paintings are featured in prestigious museums and collections around the world.
£1,500-2,500
Property from a Private Collection, London
MAHI BINEBINE (MOROCCAN
B.1959)
UNTITLED
signed in Arabic Mahi Binebine and numbered 14/30 lower right lithograph on paper
98 x 74cm; 38 1/2 x 29in
114 x 91cm; 44 3/4 x 35 3/4in (framed)
Executed in 2023
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity Provenance
Acquired from the publisher by the present owner
See note to previous lot.
£2,000-4,000
WORKS FROM THE COLLECTION OF DR MOHAMMED SAID FARSI (LOTS 27-40)
MOHAMMAD NAGHI
(EGYPTIAN 1888-1956)
ARCHBISHOP MAKARIOS III pastel on paper
23 x 15.5cm; 9 x 6in
39.5 x 29cm; 15 1/2 x 11 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi Thence by descent to the present owner Mohammad Naghi, born in Alexandria, is famous for establishing the standard for a renaissance in Egyptian modern art as a member of Egypt’s first generation artists, also known as Al-Ruwwad. After graduating in law at the University of Lyon in France in 1910, Naghi studied art at the Academy of Florence until 1914. This classical European training in Italy and his elite background (as he was born to a well-connected family), along with political developments in Egypt, shaped much of his art and fashioned his role as a diplomat and cultural educator. His works combine ancient Egyptian influences with his characteristically delicate style.
Naghi had a tendency towards Impressionist art and its use of colour. While he was living in France following the First World War, he became acquainted with the work of Claude Monet, which he adapted to capture his native scenes in Egypt. Following the 1919 Egyptian revolution, his work turned towards using ancient Egyptian iconography and creating art based on folklore and Egyptian cultural heritage. Naghi’s works combined ancient Egyptian influences with his delicate characteristic style, creating a ‘neo-pharonic style’, which reformulated ancient Egyptian imagery using Western formulas of representation.
Throughout the interwar years, Naghi served as a diplomat and cultural attaché for Egypt, traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Prague, Adis Ababa, Rome, and most notably Ethiopia. While in Ethiopia in the early 1930s, he produced his most prolific body of work, known as his ‘Abyssinian period’, which featured figurative paintings of daily life in an expressive style using bright, warm colours.
Naghi served as the head of the School of Fine Arts in Cairo from 1937 to 1939, where he was the first Egyptian to lead the school since its inception in 1908. While there, he introduced the study of ancient Egyptian art into the school’s curriculum. In 1939, he became director of the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, a post which he held until 1947 when he was appointed to the Egyptian Academy in Rome. He served as an Egyptian cultural attaché to Italy until 1950. In 1952, Naghi established and directed the Cairo Atelier art gallery. In 1955, Naghi went to Cyprus to paint Archbishop Makarios III (subject of the present lot), leader of the island’s revolution against the British colonial establishment. Naghi finished his career in Cairo, where he set up his villa studio near the Pyramids, where he lived until his death in 1956.
£500-800
Property from a Private Collection, London
28
MOHAMMAD NAGHI (EGYPTIAN 1888-1956)
THE CHESS PLAYER oil on paper, laid on board 46 x 30cm; 18 x 11 3/4in 50 x 34cm; 19 3/4 x 13 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature
Dr Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book, Cairo, 1998, pp. 37 and 45, illustrated
£2,000-4,000
Property from a Private Collection, London 29
MOHAMMAD NAGHI (EGYPTIAN 1888-1956)
DUCKS ON THE SHORE
signed in English Naghi lower right watercolour on paper
22 x 28.5cm; 8 3/4 x 11 1/4in 41 x 52cm; 16 x 20 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature
Dr Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book, Cairo, 1998, pp. 36 and 41, illustrated
See note to previous lot.
£1,000-2,000
Property from a Private Collection, UK 30
KAMEL MOUSTAFA (EGYPTIAN 1917-1982)
A RIVER PIER
signed K. Moustafa lower right oil on board
14 x 21cm; 5 1/2 x 8 1/4in 23 x 30cm; 9 x 12in (framed)
Inscribed in Arabic Dr Mohamed Said Farsi on a plaque to left side of frame.
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Sale, Charterhouse Auctions, Sherborne, 21 April 2017, lot 217
Purchased at the above auction by the present owner
Kamel Moustafa’s works combine Egyptian customs and life in Alexandria in particular, in the Impressionist style. His art continues to be extremely popular and appreciated by many collectors. After studying painting in Egypt under Youssef Kamel, Ahmed Sabri and Mohammed Nagui, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Academy of Fine Art in Rome. During his career he participated in several exhibitions and entered paintings in the Mediterranean Biennial, Alexandria, and the Venice Biennale.
£300-500
Property from a Private Collection, UK 31
KAMEL MOUSTAFA (EGYPTIAN 1917-1982)
A MAN DISPLAYING ART ON RAILINGS
signed K. Moustafa lower left oil on board
19 x 29cm; 7 1/2 x 11 1/2in 28 x 37.5cm; 11 x 14 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Sale, Charterhouse Auctions, Sherborne, 21 April 2017, lot 224
Purchased at the above auction by the present owner
£400-600
Property from a Private Collection, London
32
RAGHEB AYAD (EGYPTIAN 1892-1982)
FOUR FIGURES
signed and dated R. AYAD / c.1956 lower right pen and ink and watercolour on paper 39 x 31cm; 15 1/4 x 12in
56 x 48cm; 22 x 19in (framed)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Acquired from the above in 2013 by the present owner
Ragheb Ayad is celebrated as one of the boldest and most independent of the first generation of Modern Egyptian artists. He is particularly remembered for his spontaneous style of painting, which borders on caricature. A talented draughtsman, he chose to depict scenes of popular culture with raw emotion and honesty, including the fellaheen and their daily domestic village life, as well as desert monasteries and monks.
Ayad trained both in Cairo and in Rome, where from 1922 he studied with fellow Egyptian artist Youssef Kamel who supported him financially and in friendship. He returned to Cairo in 1930 to commence an illustrious career as teacher and curator at many renowned institutions, in addition to serving on several government committees. Appointed Department Head at the Higher School of Fine Arts in 1942, he organised the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo and was the Curator of the Cairo Modern Museum from 1950 to 1955.
During his lifetime, Ragheb Ayad held over 40 exhibitions in Egypt and abroad, and his works are held in private Egyptian and international collections, as well as institutions such as the Modern Egyptian Museum, Cairo; the Agricultural Museum in Dokki and the Museum of Fine Arts, Alexandria. Additionally, his murals adorn the walls of churches, hotels and former palaces in Egypt.
£1,500-1,800
Property from a Private Collection, London 33
RAGHEB AYAD (EGYPTIAN 1892-1982)
A VIEW OF WADI EL NATROUN MONASTERIES signed and dated in English R. AYAD / c.1965 lower left pen and indian ink on paper 34 x 49cm; 13 1/4 x 19 1/4in 56 x 74cm; 22 x 29in (framed)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature
Dr Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book, Cairo, 1998, pp. 74 and 84, illustrated £1,000-2,000
Property from a Private Collection, London 34
ADHAM WANLY (EGYPTIAN 1908-1959)
(i) DANCER WITH CIGARETTE;
(ii) DANCER WITH CIGARETTE AND HEAD STUDIES - A PAIR both: signed in English Wanly lower left felt tip on paper
(i) 28 x 17.5cm; 11 x 7in 40.5 x 30cm; 16 x 11 3/4in (framed)
(ii) 28.5 x 19cm; 11 1/4in 45 x 36.5cm; 17 3/4 x 14 1/4in (framed) (2)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature
Dr Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book, Cairo, 1998, pp. 185 and 194, illustrated (i and ii)
Born to an affluent aristocratic family in Alexandria, Wanly received a private education alongside his siblings, including studying oil painting with his brother, Seif, under Italian painter Arturo Zanieri (1870-1955) (see lot 43). Wanly and his brother joined the studio of Italian painter Ottorino Bicchi (1878-1949) after it opened in Alexandria in 1929 to continue their painting studies. When Bicchi closed his studio in 1935 before the start of the Second World War, Wanly and his brother along with painter Ahmad Fahmi and filmmaker Mohammed Bayoumi opened their own studio in Alexandria. After travelling extensively throughout Europe, Wanly and his brother were appointed as professors at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria in 1957.
Wanly’s early works drew influence from his studies under Bicchi, who was close to the Italian macchiaioli artistic group, which was influenced by the French Impressionist movement and the Ecole de Barbizon. Adham was later influenced by modern pictorial trends, such as Cubism and Fauvism. He developed a passion for performance arts depicting the vibrant and dynamic movements of the performers on stage, reflected in the work shown here.
£1,000-2,000
Property from a Private Collection, London 35
SABRY HELMY RAGHEB (EGYPTIAN 1920-2000)
FLOWERS IN A BLUE VASE
signed and dated in English and Arabic Sabry 1994 centre right oil on canvas
48.5 x 38cm; 19 x 15in
64.5 x 53.5cm; 25 1/4 x 21in (framed)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Thence by descent to the present owner
Literature
Dr Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book, Cairo, 1998, pp. 252 and 258, illustrated
Sabry Helmy Ragheb studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Rome. During the 1950s, he travelled to many countries to paint portaits of notable personalities such as President Ahmed Sukarno of Indonesia, Syrian President Shukry El Kuwatly and General Franco of Spain.
Ragheb was a prize winner at the Salon du Caire in 1963, 1964 and 1966. Charged with the task of embellishing the Maryland Gardens in 1970, Ragheb established a museum and exhibition hall at the garden.
Since 1989, his paintings have risen in popularity and are in many private collections in Egypt, the United States, Italy, China and the Vatican.
£800-1,200
Property from a Private Collection, London 36
ALI BAYOUMI (EGYPTIAN 1955-2019)
FLOWERS NO 2
signed and dated in English and Arabic ALI BAYOUMI ‘89 lower right watercolour on paper
54 x 44.5cm; 21 x 17 1/2in
57 x 48cm; 22 1/2 x 19in (unframed)
Provenance
Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Acquired from the above in 2013 by the present owner
Literature
Dr Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book, Cairo, 1998, p. 365, illustrated
An accomplished and prolific artist, Ali Bayoumi entered Alexandria University’s Faculty of Architecture in 1973, graduating with honours in 1978. He went on to earn a Masters degree in 1985 and his PhD in 1993. He collaborated with Dr Mohammed Said Farsi (then mayor of Jeddah), who commissioned him to design 22 large scale sculptures for his renowned public art project in the city. Bayoumi’s paintings can be found in the King Abd El Aziz University and the Saudi National Bank in Jeddah, whilst his murals adorn Alexandria’s train station and the entrance to the Mahmoudia Canal. Many of his paintings are also in private collections in Egypt, Kuwait, Germany and the United States.
£100-200
Property from a Private Collection, London
37
FOUAD TAG (EGYPTIAN B.1933)
SHIPYARD
signed in Arabic Fouad Tag lower right oil on board
61.5 x 70cm; 24 1/4 x 27 1/2in (unframed)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Acquired from the above in 2013 by the present owner
Fouad Tag was born in Tanta, Egypt and graduated from the Cairo Faculty of Fine Arts in 1958. He worked as a journalist and illustrator from 1957 to 1966.
Under the guidance of Kamel Moustafa, he acquired his artistic knowledge and practice, notably in the skills of painting restoration and portraiture.
He moved to Italy after being awarded a scholarship to the Faculty of Fine Arts in Rome, from which he obtained a diploma in painting in 1970. He subsequently taught at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria, where he became Director of the Painting Department.
Alexandria was an important place for his artistic career, receiving first prize at its Biennials in 1962 and 1967. He exhibited his work at the fourth Paris Biennial of Youth, two of the Venice Biennales and three of the Sao Paulo, Brazil Biennials. Within his extensive experimentation of media, muralism became representative of his artistic practices and his murals can be found in residences, palaces and churches, such as St. George’s Church, Sporting, Alexandria.
£300-500
Property from a Private Collection, London 38
ALI BAYOUMI (EGYPTIAN 1955-2019)
HOUSE BY THE WATER
signed in Arabic lower right oil on board
63 x 52cm; 24 3/4 x 20 1/2in (unframed)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi Acquired from the above in 2013 by the present owner
See note to lot 36.
£300-500
Property from a Private Collection, London 39
ALI BAYOUMI (EGYPTIAN 1955-2019)
SEAWAVES
signed and dated in Arabic ALI BAYOUMI 94 lower right oil on canvas
39 x 50cm; 15 1/2 x 19 3/4in
52 x 62cm; 20 1/2 x 24 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Dr Mohammed Said Farsi Acquired from the above in 2013 by the present owner
Literature
Dr Sobhy Al Sharouny, A Museum in a Book, Cairo, 1998, p. 365, illustrated
See note to lot 36.
£250-450
Property from a Private Collection, London 40
SALAH
EL MELIGY (EGYPTIAN B.1957)
SPARROW NEST - A PAIR
etching on wove paper
(i) signed in English and Arabic, titled, numbered and dated Salah El Meligy 4/7 Sparrow Nest 2007 lower margin
(ii) signed in English and Arabic, titled, numbered and dated Salah El Meligy 6/7 Sparrow Nest 2007 lower margin
each 49 x 48.5cm; 19 1/4 x 19in
each 86.5cm x 86.5cm; 34 x 34in (framed) (2)
Provenance
Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi
Acquired from the above in 2013 by the present owner
Inspired by spiritual subjects and nature, Salah El Meligy is currently professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University, Cairo and has exhibited his paintings and prints widely throughout Egypt and the Middle East. He was appointed by the former Egyptian Culture Minister Emad Abo-Ghazi as head of the Fine Arts Sector, a body operating under the Ministry of Culture responsible for several art institutions and museums.
£180-260
Property of a Private Collector, London
41
ABDEL WAHAB MORSI (EGYPTIAN 1931-2021)
THE EMBRACE 1970
signed and dated A. Morsi / 1970 lower right woodcut on paper
61 x 44.5cm; 24 x 17 1/2in
81.5 x 62cm; 32 x 24 1/2in (framed)
Abdel Wahab Morsi was born in Al Sharkeia, Egypt. In 1957, he graduated with a BA from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Zamalek, Cairo. In 1971, he left Egypt to further his studies at the University of San Fernando in Spain, with a focus on engraving. It was in the same year that he was awarded second prize in the 3rd international triennial in Barcelona.
Morsi rejected Euro-American artistic subordination, instead rooting his creativity in his native Egyptian soil, in relation to its craftsmanship, tools and materials. Inspired by the historic Islamic surroundings of his studio in Kasr Almesafer khana in the old Azhar district of Cairo, and by his work for the Center of Antiquities Registration during the period 1958 – 1976, he reformulated ancient Egyptian imagery, realising its two-dimensional linearity and symbolism in a contemporary hieratic form.
Morsi’s work has been exhibited extensively, including solo exhibitions at the Egyptian Cultural Centre, Belgium in 1982, Modern Art Gallery, Geneva in 1971, and the Museum of Modern Art, Cairo. He has also participated in group exhibitions including the Alexandria Biennial and the Venice Biennale in 1976. His work can be found in various important private collections in Egypt and beyond, and is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Cairo, The Jordanian National Museum and the Royal Museum, Madrid, among others.
£600-800
Property of a Private Collector, Lebanon 42
‡ SALAH TAHER (EGYPTIAN 1911-2006)
UNTITLED
signed and dated in Arabic and English Salah Taher / S. Taher 77 lower left oil on paper on board
25.5 x 34.5cm; 10 x 13 1/2 in 55 x 60.5cm; 21 1/2 by 23 3/4in (framed)
Born in Cairo, Salah Taher was an Egyptian painter and educator whose bold and dynamic approach to abstraction defined and influenced modern Egyptian art. He studied at the Academy of Fine Art, Cairo, completing his degree in 1934 and served as a lecturer there until 1954. Taher held many leadership positions throughout the Cairo arts community, including heading the Museum of Modern Arts in 1954, the Khedival Opera House in 1962, and the Society of Advocates of Fine Arts in the 1980s. Taher received numerous accolades for his work and contributions to the Cairo art community including the State Incentive Award, the Alexandria Biennale Award, and the Guggenheim Awards in 1959 and 1961. His work has been featured in more than 80 art exhibitions in Egypt, Venice, New York City, San Francisco, Geneva, Beirut, Kuwait and Jeddah. He was honoured alongside Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz with a book about his work titled ‘The Brush and The Pen’ by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in 2001.
Taher’s abstraction largely features depictions of imagined figures and happenings, which he translated into dynamic shapes and colours. Often music and literature served as inspiration and were interpreted into patterns of swirling shapes in gestural applications. The motion of writing Arabic calligraphy was central in his work too. Taher used a flat brush or a palette knife to move the diluted paint on his canvas, thereby achieving his signature swiping touch, as displayed here.
£2,500-4,500
Property from a Private Collection, Cairo
43
⊕ ‡ SEIF WANLY (EGYPTIAN 1906-1979)
UNTITLED
oil on board
46.5 x 32.5cm; 18 1/3 x 12 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from UBUNTU Art Gallery, Cairo
Born in Alexandria, Seif Wanly was raised in French-speaking Turkish aristocratic family and was privately tutored in his family house. Seif Wanly and his brother, Adham (see lot 34), started developing an interest in painting and art. They attended Italian painter Ottorino Becchi’s new studio in Alexandria, Egypt. Becchi introduced them to avant-garde movements like Futurism and Cubism; these two techniques formed the basis from which Wanly developed his personal style defined by angular lines, bright shades and colorful geometric shapes.
Becchi left Egypt and the Wanly brothers decided to set up their own studio in Alexandria. The studio was set up during the 1940s with the filmmaker Mohammed Bayoumi, who also collaborated. Their studio is frequently credited with bringing attention to the art of the region.
The Wanly brothers travelled extensively after the Second World War, particularly during the 1950s to France, Italy and Spain, where they sketched and painted scenes of ballet, opera, theatre performances and landscapes. In 1957, Seif Wanly travelled to Nubia to create a collection of paintings and drawings that depicted life in Upper Egypt. This project was initiated by the government to document the culture and conditions of the area before the relocation of the monuments necessary for the construction of the Aswan High Dam. During this project Seif Wanly worked with other well-known artists of their generation, including Tahia Halim and Hussein Bikar.
That same year, 1975, Seif’s brother Adham passed away. This resulted in a very difficult period for the artist, which was reflected in his artworks. The Wanly brothers were really close both in their life and work. Both artists influenced one another, developing similar styles. The Wanly brothers were pioneers in introducing modern pictorial trends to Alexandria, depicting international subjects, and moving away from the folklorist style of their contemporaries.
£6,500-8,500
Property from a Private Collector, Belgium 44
FATHI AFIFI (EGYPTIAN B.1950)
FACTORY MACHINE OPERATORS
signed in Arabic and English and dated in English F. AFIFI 2016 lower right oil on canvas
195 x 146cm; 76 3/4 x 57 1/2in 198 x 149cm; 78 x 58 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist
Depictions of daily life in Cairo and the realities of the factory floor have dominated Fathi Afifi’s work for over four decades. Born in Cairo, his canvases mirror the energy that propelled him through an era of industrial transformation and the heyday of the Egyptian plastic arts movement. Afifi’s works often portray the human and the machine as equals, emphasising his view that this synergy is what has driven progress in Egypt. Through his practice, Afifi has endeavoured to critically portray life and labour, as well as the pursuit of freedom and autonomy that united his generation.
A member of a number of local art associations, he has exhibited extensively, including in Egypt, Kuwait, Austria, Mexico and Cuba. His work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Egyptian Modern Art; Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah; Qatar Museum; and Amman Museum, Jordan, among others.
£2,500-4,500
Property of the Kamal E Youssef Family Trust
45
‡ KAMAL YOUSSEF (EGYPTIAN 1923-2019)
BIRD FAMILY
signed and dated KAMAL 2005
lower right oil on canvas
81.28 x 60.96cm; 32 x 24in
83.82 x 63.5cm; 33 x 25in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist
Exhibited
Lorretto, Pennsylvania, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Wall to Wall Kamal, 2014
During his teenage years, Youssef underwent rigorous training in art under a number of prominent artists known for their engagement with Egyptian Surrealism. In 1939, he joined the Art and Liberty Group, one of the most prominent art movements of the time and in 1946, he was a founding member of the Contemporary Art Group and played a crucial role in the development of Egypt’s modern art movement. After the 1952 revolution, Youssef made his home in Paris before moving to the US where he worked as an engineer for 20 years.
His work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including The Sharjah Art Foundation (2016); Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Loretto, USA (2014); Bakersfield Museum of Art, USA (2008); Westmoreland Museum of Art, Greensburg, USA (1993); Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, USA (1962); Mediterranean Biennale, Alexandria, Egypt (1955); Museum of Modern Art, Cairo (1952); São Paulo Biennale (1952) and Venice Biennale (1950). Kamal also participated in the 1939 exhibition organised by the Art and Liberty Group, and in several of the Contemporary Art Group’s collective exhibitions between 1946 and 1954.
£4,000-6,000
Property of the Kamal E
Youssef Family Trust
46
‡ KAMAL YOUSSEF (EGYPTIAN 1923-2019)
TRADITION
signed and dated KAMAL 70 lower right oil on canvas
116.21 x 76.84cm;
45 1/4 x 30 1/4in
118.27 x 80.33cm;
46 9/16 x 31 5/8in (framed)
Exhibited
Sharjah, Sharjah Art Foundation, Kamal Youssef: Egyptian Surrealism’s Time
Capsule, 2016
Literature
Hoor Al Qasimi and Salah
Hassan, Kamal Youssef: Egyptian Surrealism’s Time
Capsule, 2016, p. 85, illus.
See note to previous lot.
£6,000-9,000
⊕ SAMIR RAFI (EGYPTIAN 1926-2004)
UNTITLED
signed and dated S. RAFI.58. lower left oil on red paper
50.1 x 64.9cm; 19 3/4 x 25 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
UBUNTU Art Gallery, Cairo
Acquired from the above by the present owner
£5,000-8,000
Property of a Private Collector, The Netherlands
48
⊕ ‡ ARDASH KAKAFIAN (IRAQI 1941-1999)
SENSE OF BELONGING
acrylic on canvas, in two parts 184 x 306cm; 72 3/8 x 120 1/2in (framed)
Painted circa 1990
Provenance
Collection of the artist
Thence by descent to the present owner
Born in Mosul, Kakafian was the youngest member to be accepted into the Baghdad Modern Art Group and went on to exhibit extensively in both Baghdad and Paris, having studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. His work spanned many genres including expressionism, Chinese inkwork, miniature paintings and political propaganda for which he spent time in prison. Much of his work is influenced by his personal experiences as well as impressionism and al Wasiti miniatures and he is described by Ahmed Morsi as an ‘explorer of a self-diaspora’ and ‘an eloquent mesh of personal architecture and poetry’ (Exh. Cat., Washington D.C., Alif Gallery, Ardash, 1986). This work portrays a sense of pain and sadism which is further heightened by the scale of the canvas.
£3,000-5,000
“In the history of art, the most important element has been the woman…she gives life. There is a tenderness in the way a woman moves, sits, talks and uses her hands.”
Property of a Private Collector, The Netherlands
49
⊕ ‡ AFIFA ALEIBY (IRAQI B.1952)
CAPELLO BIANCO (WHITE HAT)
signed in Arabic and dated 03 upper right oil on canvas
50 x 40cm; 19 3/4 x 15 3/4in
55.5 x 45.5cm; 20 3/4 x 18in (framed)
Provenance
De Twee Pauwen, The Hague
Acquired from the above in 2004 by the present owner
Exhibited
The Hague, De Twee Pauwen Gallery, Afifa Aleiby, 2004
Born in Basra, Iraq, Aleiby studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad whilst working as an illustrator. In 1974, the artist left Iraq for Moscow to further her studies in monumental art on a scholarship at the Surikov Institute. She remained there for six years, where her artistic endeavours were fostered by a community of Iraqi intellectuals. In the wake of political conflict, Aleiby was unable to return to her homeland and instead relocated to Italy where she was inspired by the Renaissance masters. The work of Sandro Botticelli, for example, has had a palpable influence on Aleiby’s practice. Her serene female figures, such as in Capello Bianco (White Hat), often resemble European court society portraiture or formal ecclesiastical iconography (notably the Madonna). Aleiby uses these female figures to reflect beauty, taste, politics and society and to emphasise the significance of women in society.
Aleiby lives and works in the Netherlands, and has participated in numerous exhibitions throughout her career, from Baghdad and Moscow to Yemen, Italy, Syria, Lebanon, England and the United States. Her paintings are held in important international public and private collections, such as Azman Museum’s collection, Farjam Foundation, Rana Sadik Collection, Beth Rudin de Woody Collection and Barjeel Foundation.
£4,000-6,000
Property from a Private Collection, UK
50
⊕ NADIRA AZZOUZ (IRAQI 1927-2020)
IN DISCUSSION
signed in Arabic Nadira lower left mixed media on canvas
76 x 50.5cm; 30 x 20in
88 x 62cm; 34 3/4 x 24 1/2in (framed)
Painted in 2011
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Family Provenance
By descent from the artist to the present owner
Born in Mosul, Nadira Azzouz started painting at the early age of six. In her teens Azzouz went on to study fine art at the School of Domestic Fine Arts in Baghdad from 1944-49, and later continued her studies at the Central School of Art in London from 1957-60, where she gained a BA in Painting. By 1960, Azzouz staged her first solo show in Baghdad, and became an active member of the Society of Iraqi Plastic Arts. Azzouz actively progressed her artistic training further by studying still life and freehand in Cambridge, before moving to Beirut, Lebanon to raise her children.
Like many Iraqi artists of her generation who had studied abroad, often in the West, Azzouz’s artistic practice was informed by the canon of 20th century international modernism. Concurrently, Azzouz’s oeuvre carries a distinctively Iraqi identity, as seen in the influence of ancient Iraqi sculptural forms, as well as medieval Arab illuminated manuscripts and the folklorish motifs of handicrafts, rugs and textiles of her homeland.
£900-1,200
Property from a Private Collection, UK 51
⊕ NADIRA AZZOUZ (IRAQI 1927-2020)
LADY WITH MAID
signed in Arabic Nadira lower left oil on paper
47.5 x 33cm; 18 3/4 x 13in 81 x 66cm; 32 x 30in (framed)
Painted in 1987
Provenance
By descent from the artist to the present owner £600-900
Nadira Azzouz, courtesy of the Azzouz family
Property from a Private Collection, UK 52
⊕ NADIRA AZZOUZ (IRAQI 1927-2020)
TWO FIGURES
gouache on paper
signed in Arabic Nadira lower left
49.5 x 36.5cm; 19 1/2 x 14 1/4in (unframed)
Provenance
A gift from the artist to the parents of the present owner, 1988 £500-800
Property from a Private Collection, London 53
⊕ DIA AL AZZAWI
(BRITISH / IRAQI B.1939)
AL-JAWAHIRI VERSES signed, stamped and dated Azzawi 1989 lower right; numbered 71/89 lower left hand coloured lithograph on Velin Cuve BFK Rives Blanc mould-made 250gsm paper
65 x 50cm; 25 1/2 x 19 1/2in
73 x 56.7cm; 28 3/4 x 22 1/3in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Al-Azzawi began creating art at a young age, drawing illustration reproductions from magazines and scenes from his family life. This natural talent was encouraged and developed in his time at al-Markaziyyah high school from which he graduated in 1958. He then attended the College of Arts, Baghdad, completing his degree in archaeology in 1962. While there, al-Azzawi was encouraged by friends in the al-Marsam al-Hurr group (the Free Studio) to attend night classes at the Institute of Fine Art to continue his art studies, which he completed in 1964.
His early work drew from many sources of inspiration, including the Sumerian figurine, visual motifs from popular culture and everyday life, and legends and folklore such as Gilgamesh and Imam Hussain. After Al-Azzawi moved to London in 1976 to expand his practice and escape the increasingly oppressive Ba’thist state, he moved towards exploring the interaction of visuals and the written word through experimentations with poetry, such as the al-qaseedah al-marsumah or ‘drawn poem’. In 1979, he continued to create visual representations for poetry using al-qaseedan al-marsumah.
After 1983, Al-Azzawi returned to earlier motifs like colour through the form of the Arabic letter and the influences of classic literature such as One Thousand and One Nights but now through the medium of prints. Al-Azzawi continued to explore the convergence of visuals and the written word by producing dafatir, or artists books, which reflected the poetry of the great Arab poets. Beginning in 1989, Al-Azzawi produced over 40 dafati and it became a place for him to reflect on political events such as the start of the Gulf War in 1991.
Al-Azzawi’s Al-Jawahi verses were based on the poems by Iraqi poet Muhammad Mahdi Al-Jawahiri, born in 1899 in Najaf. Al-Jawahiri’s father, ‘Abd al-Husayn was a religious scholar among the clergy in Najaf who wanted his son to be a cleric as well. So he dressed him in a cleric’s ‘Abaya and turban at the age of ten. The origin of Al-Jawahiri goes back to his Najafi, Iraqi family.
Since the 11th century Hijri (15th century CE), the most famous people have inhabited Najaf, and individuals named al-Najafi have earned the title ‘Bejeweled’ (or al-Jawahiri) for their relationship to the book of fiqh values (religious scholarship), which one of his family’s ancestors, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi, had written.
£900-1,200
Property from a Private Collection, London 54
⊕ DIA AL AZZAWI (BRITISH / IRAQI B.1939)
AL-JAWAHIRI VERSES
signed, stamped and dated Azzawi 1989 lower right; numbered 71/89 lower left
hand coloured lithograph on Velin Cuve BFK Rives Blanc
mould-made 250gsm paper
65 x 50cm; 25 1/2 x 19 1/2in
73 x 56.7cm; 28 3/4 x 22 1/3in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£900-1,200
Property from a Private Collection, London 55
⊕ DIA AL AZZAWI (BRITISH / IRAQI B.1939)
AL-JAWAHIRI VERSES
signed, stamped and dated Azzawi 1989 lower right; numbered 71/89 lower left
hand coloured lithograph on Velin Cuve BFK Rives Blanc
mould-made 250gsm paper
65 x 50cm; 25 1/2 x 19 1/2in
73 x 56.7cm; 28 3/4 x 22 1/3in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£900-1,200
Property from a Private Collection, London 56
MAHDI AL ASADI (IRAQI, 20TH CENTURY)
TOWNSCAPE IN NORTHERN IRAQ
signed in Arabic and English Mahdi Al Asadi / M. ASADI and dated 1998 lower left oil on canvas
69.5 x 49.5cm; 27 3/4 x 19 1/2in
72.5 x 52.3cm; 28 1/2 x 20 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£500-800
Property from a Private Collection, London 57
MAHDI AL ASADI (IRAQI, 20TH CENTURY)
TOWNSCAPE IN SOUTHERN IRAQ
signed in Arabic and English Mahdi Al Asadi / M. ASADI and dated 1998 lower left oil on canvas
69.5 x 49.5cm; 27 3/4 x 19 1/2in
72.5 x 52.3cm; 28 1/2 x 20 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£500-800
Property from a Private Collection, London
58
KHALED AL-JADIR (IRAQI 1924-1988)
MARKET SCENE, RABAT, MOROCCO signed in Arabic Khaled Aljadir lower left oil on board
33 x 36.5cm; 13 x 14 1/4in (unframed)
Painted in 1987
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
Khaled Al-Jadir is seen as a precursor to modern abstract art in Iraq. He was part of the ‘Pioneers Group,’ founded by Faik Hassan in 1941, and considered to be one of Iraq’s most important artistic cultural voices.
Al-Jadir successfully developed a unique realistic-expressionist style resulting from his persistent, experimental work that he undertook in Iraq before his departure to Paris to study at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in 1949. The artist was undoubtedly influenced by European arts, yet he was able to create his own Iraqi style, which remained constant and unchanged until his very last sketch.
In his obituary of Al-Jadir, Shaker Hassan Al Sa’eed, the Iraqi painter and one of top art critics in the Arab world said: ‘He was truly, incontestably the precursor of contemporary expressionist art in Iraq’.
£700-900
Property of a Private Collector, London
59
KHALED AL-JADIR (IRAQI 1924-1988)
A PAIR OF PORT SCENES, BUR DUBAI one signed in felt tip in Arabic Khaled Al Jadir lower right, the other lower left collotype with additions in white each: 21 x 29.5cm; 8 1/4 x 11 1/5 in (unframed) (2)
Provenance
By descent from the artist to the present owner
See note to previous lot. £200-300
Property from a Private Collection, London
60
⊕ DIA AL AZZAWI (BRITISH / IRAQI B.1939)
BIRD SELLER - THE ENVIOUS DO NOT PREVAIL signed and dated Azzawi 89 lower right; numbered 41/60 lower left; dedicated to Jewad Selim upper left hand-coloured etching, printed on Velin Cuve BFK Rives Blanc mould-made 250gsm paper 10 x 12cm; 4 x 4 3/4in 31 x 22cm; 12 1/4 x 8 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner £500-800
⊕ DIA AL AZZAWI (BRITISH / IRAQI B.1939)
BLUE FACE
signed and dated Azzawi 02 lower right ceramic
31 x 23 x 2.5cm; 12 1/4 x 9 x 1in
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£3,500-5,500
⊕ DIA AL AZZAWI (BRITISH / IRAQI
TOTEM
signed, dated and numbered Azzawi 08 / 4/5
hand coloured fibreglass
51 x 19 x 12cm; 20 x 7 1/2 x 4 3/4in
Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity from the artist
Provenance
Acquired from the artist by the present owner
£2,500-4,500
Property from a Private Collection, London 63
‡ KHUZEIMA ALWANI (SYRIAN B.1935)
FLOWERS IN A VASE signed and dated in Arabic Khuzeima 2000 lower right oil on canvas
70 x 50cm; 27 1/2 x 19 3/4in
73 x 52.5cm; 28 3/4 x 20 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Ayyam Gallery, Dubai, 2014
£500-800
‡ MOHANNAD ORABI (SYRIAN B.1977)
FAMILY PORTRAIT
signed in English and Arabic Mohannad ORABI and dated 2010 lower right; signed, inscribed and dated on the reverse mixed media on canvas 160 x 180cm; 67 x 71in (unframed)
Provenance
Ayyam Gallery, Beirut
Orabi was born in Damascus and currently lives and works between Canada and Dubai. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus in 2000 and won first prize in The Syrian National Young Artists Exhibition. The concept of family and childhood form the main theme of the artist’s work and the canvases are often dominated by energetic childlike figures. Many of his works are painted as self-portraits and ponder the evolution from childhood to an understanding of the world beyond.
£1,000-1,500
Property from a Private Collection, London
65
‡ NAZEM AL JAAFARI (SYRIA 1918-2015)
DANS UN JARDIN A DAMAS
signed and dated in Arabic Nazem Al Jaafari 1958 lower left oil on canvas
53.5 x 67.5cm; 21 x 26 1/2in
56 x 70cm; 22 x 27 1/2in (framed)
Provenance
Agial Gallery, Beirut
£800-1,200
66
‡ NAZEM AL JAAFARI (SYRIA 1918-2015)
LA VIEILLE VILLE DE DAMAS
signed and dated in Arabic Nazem Al Jaafari 1984 lower left oil on canvas
64 x 48cm; 25 1/4 x 18 3/4in
66.5 x 50.5cm; 26 x 19 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Agial Gallery, Beirut
£600-800
Property from a Private Collection, London
67
ABU SUBHI AL TINAWI (SYRIAN 1888-1973)
ABLA & SHEIBOUB
signed in Arabic lower centre
mixed media on unstretched canvas pasted onto board
60 x 69cm; 24 x 27 1/4in
64.5 x 72.5cm; 25 3/4 x 28 1/2in (framed)
Executed circa 1950s/1960s
Provenance
Collection of a Diplomat, Dubai
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Born in Damascus, Abu Subhi Al Tinawi is one of the most well-known Syrian folk artists of his time. Originally named Muhammad Harb, it was when he opened his shop in Damascus that he began signing all of his artworks Abu Subhi Al Tinawi, a familiar Arabic way of calling someone after their eldest son.
Hailing from a family of reverse glass-painters and tapestry artisans, Al Tinawi made his own paint using the traditional technique of combining natural pigments with Arabic gum. He became known for reverse glass painting, a technique which, having originated in Europe and popularised in Central and Eastern Asia in the 17th century, was already fading in the Levant by Al Tinawi’s time. Continuing his work on glass and other media, such as metallic paper or cloth, he became known for his use of bright colours and simple representations of characters with straightforward expressions. Fascinated by traditional verses and stories, Al Tinawi’s oeuvre explores folk epics, historical events and religious themes. Over the decades, his prolific depictions made him a spectacular visual storyteller who was able to express the emotions of his community through popular concepts. By the time of his death, Al Tinawi had accumulated unexpected fame. Though he never left his shop to see the exhibitions of his work, pieces had travelled to Europe and beyond. Rumoured to be one of the first Arab artists to participate in an exhibition showing Picasso in Paris, his work was acquired internationally by individuals and art institutions, including the Louvre. Al Tinawi’s work has greatly influenced contemporary Arab artists and has also found its way into numerous publications and films.
£1,200-1,800
JAMIL MOLAEB (LEBANESE B.1948) ZEINA
signed in English and Arabic
JAMIL MOLAEB lower right oil on canvas
157 x 110cm; 61 3/4 x 43 1/3in (unframed)
Provenance
Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Dubai Art Fair, 2012
Jamil Molaeb grew up in the village of Baysour in the Aley District of Baissour, in the Chouf region of Lebanon. He studied at the Institute of Fine Art at the Lebanese University in Beirut, where he gained a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. Amongst his teachers there were a number of prominent Lebanese modernists, including Paul Guiragossian and Shafic Abboud, whose influence can be seen in his oeuvre.
Molaeb travelled to Algeria to further his studies at L’Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts. There, he specialised in human anatomy and figurative art, encountering ancient Near-Eastern, Egyptian, Islamic and African art. After spending time in the US at the Pratt Institute in New York City and Ohio State University, he returned to his native village in the Chouf, where he lives and works today.
A multi-media artist, Molaeb concentrates on his own culture and traditions. His practice encompasses painting, drawings, mosaics, stone sculptures and woodcuts, which he deploys to depict village life including workers toiling in fields and celebratory occasions. Recurrent motifs in his work range from birds and fruit to women and children. Referencing his training as a mosaic artist, Molaeb often brings fragmented elements into his canvasesminiatures, symbols and icons are focal points, extracted from their usual order to be given a new, independent lease of life on canvas, sometimes scattered, almost aerial-like in view, as evidenced in the present lot.
Molaeb’s art is held in prestigious public and private collections, including The World Bank in Washington DC, Gropius Bau Museum in Berlin and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.
£6,500-9,500
Property from a Private Collection, London 69
⊕ LARISSA SANSOUR (PALESTINIAN B.1973)
OLIVE TREE 2012
Lambda print on Fuji Matt paper
60 x 120cm; 23.6 x 47.2in (unframed)
edition 5/5
To be sold with a Certificate of Authenticity Provenance
Lawrie Shabibi Gallery, Dubai, 2014
Larissa Sansour is a Danish-Palestinian artist, born in East Jerusalem, she studied Fine Arts in Copenhagen, London and New York.
She is a visual artist who combines video, photography, experimental documentary, new media, the book form and the internet. Her work has been exhibited worldwide in galleries, museums and film festivals. Some of these include Tate Modern, London; the Reina Sofia, Madrid; and the Arken Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.
Sansour’s works represent the essence, the reality and the intricacy of life in Palestine and the Middle East using visual elements associated with entertainment and televised leisure activities. She uses humorous scenes such as references to science-fiction or spaghetti westerns that she always contrasts with scenes from the current situation in Palestine and the Middle East.
Larissa Sansour has represented Denmark at the 58th Venice Biennale and her recent solo exhibitions have been at the Whitworth Gallery, Manchester, Dar-El Nimer, Beirut, KINDL, Berlin and Copenhagen Contemporary.
£1,000-1,500
Property from a Private Collection, London 70
‡ HIBA KALACHE (LEBANESE B.1972)
THE ASCENT
ink, aquarelle & acrylic lacquer on paper
148.5 x 148.5cm; 58 1/2 x 58 1/2in
150.5 x 152cm; 59 3/4 x 60in (framed)
Painted in 2012
Provenance
The Running Horse Gallery, Beirut, 2012
Kalache is an interdisciplinary artist who draws on her daily life for her materials, process and content. Born in Beirut, she pursued her art education abroad, receiving an MFA degree from California College of Arts, San Francisco. She has since exhibited in Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Istanbul, New Orleans, Oakland, San Jose (USA), San Francisco, Tehran, Athens, London and Paris. Her work has also been shown at art fairs including MENART fair, Art Dubai, Abu Dhabi art fair, Drawing Now (Paris), and Gwangju Art (South Korea).
Kalache’s work interrogates the separation between the private and public spheres, and more specifically, what she calls, ‘the banality of daily rituals’. Recently she has explored female desire and the abject in relation to truth, and the possibility of positing futurity in an era of perpetual presentism. Her recent work has also been influenced by her relocation to California in 2021. £2,000-3,000
Property from a Private Collection, London
71
‡ OUSSAMA BAALBAKI (LEBANESE B.1978)
LISTENING
signed in Arabic Oussama Baalbaki and dated 2012 lower right acrylic on canvas
100 x 100cm; 39.3 x 39.3in
103 x 103.5cm; 40 1/2 x 40 3/4in (framed)
Provenance
Agial Art Gallery, Beirut, 2013
Oussama Baalbaki was born in Lebanon and graduated from Lebanese University’s School of Fine Arts in 2002. Baalbaki and his six siblings are all successful musicians and painters, following in the footsteps of their father, multitalented artist Abdul Hamid Baalbaki.
His paintings simultaneously evoke the painterly, expressive brushstrokes and dreamy colour palettes of Impressionist landscapes and the snapshots of sunsets and fireworks that populate Instagram today. This play between painting and photography is ultimately a play on time. While the photograph captures a split-second freeze-frame of a fleeting present, painting has a more fluid, flexible relationship to time. Most of Baalbaki’s work takes on traditional subject matter, including landscapes, cityscapes, and portraits. The artist prefers self-portraiture because he considers himself his most reliable model, as he is most familiar with his own features, gestures, and emotions. Many of these self-portraits are rendered in greyscale capturing the atmosphere of his studio. At first, they appear to be charcoal or pencil drawings; upon closer inspection, however, they are acrylic on canvas, painted with the same gestural brushstrokes he brings to his landscapes. Thinning the line between realism and expressionism, Baalbaki strives to capture images of quotidian life in its emotional as well as physical forms, often imbuing his self-portraits with a sense of boredom, exhaustion, or melancholy.
Oussama Baalbaki lives and works in Beirut. His works can be found in the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation, Beirut; The Mokbel Art Collection, Beirut, and The Collection of the Ministry of Culture, Beirut, Lebanon.
£1,500-3,500
‡ SAADI SINEVI (LEBANESE 1902-1987)
HEAD OF A WOMAN
signed and dated S. Sinevi / 1940 centre right gouache on paper
39.5 x 30.5cm; 15 1/2 x 12in
60.5 x 51cm; 23 3/4 x 20in (framed)
Provenance
Agial Art Gallery, Beirut, 2012
The son of a magistrate in the Ottoman Empire, Saadi Sinevi was born in Istanbul. Due to his family situation and the start of the First World War, he moved to Beirut, where he studied until 1916. Two years later he moved to Paris, where he trained as an architect from 1918 to 1922.
Returning to Beirut, he started to work in advertising as well as at an enamel and print studio. During the 1930s, he founded Les amis de la peinture, ‘Friends of Painting’ association, to help and encourage the many artists of the time. Appointed by the Lebanese government as President of the Association for Lebanese Sculptors and Painters, he was the organiser of several large exhibitions held at the Unesco Palace (1949) and in the Hall of the Lebanese Parliament building between 1936 and 1942.
In 1942 he founded his magazine La voix de l’artiste, ‘The painter’s voice’, which he used as an advertising medium, and a way of expression. There, he published reports from his studio and his artistic practices, presenting new painters and creative projects, which constituted a large and important part of his personal and professional life. Known as one of the survivors of the Lebanese artistic renaissance, his work is characterised by bringing to life landscapes and nature through painting, reminiscing on childhood memories full of colour and folklore.
£250-450
Property from a Private Collection, London 73
‡ MUSTAPHA FARROUKH (LEBANESE 1901-1957)
BASSARA signed in English and Arabic - M. Farroukh - lower right oil on canvas
50 x 40cm; 19.6 x 15.7in
54 x 45cm; 21 1/4 x 17 3/4in (framed)
Painted in 1945
Provenance
Agial Art Gallery, Beirut, 2012
Moustafa Farroukh was formally trained in Rome and graduated from Accademia di Belle Arti. He proceeded to Paris and continued further studies under the guidance of Paul Emile Chabas, the president of the Society of French Artists. During his successful but short career, he exhibited in Paris, Venice, New York and Beirut. In his studio in Beirut, he established a permanent exhibition of his work. Farroukh travelled through Spain in the early 1930s where his appreciation of Arabic art and architecture had a long-lasting effect on his artistic touch.
Farroukh became highly regarded as a Lebanese national painter at a time when Lebanon was asserting its political independence. His work was applauded for its representation of real life in Lebanon through pictures of the country, its people and its customs, capturing their spirit and character.
Farroukh wrote five books and taught art at the American University of Beirut and lectured in various academies. He joined the group of philosophers, thinkers, and literati who lectured in the renowned Al Nadwa gatherings or Le Cénacle Libanais. In 1954, he was awarded the ‘Order of Merit’, and the ‘Order of the Cedar’ by the Lebanese government. In 1974, he was featured posthumously on a Lebanese airmail postage stamp in recognition of his work.
£1,500-3,500
Property of a Private Collection, Beirut
74
⊕ HUSSEIN MADI (LEBANESE 1938-2024)
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
signed, numbered and dated 1/9 Madi 2022 lower right pigmented giclée on canvas
50 x 50cm; 19 3/4 x 19 3/4in
54 x 54cm; 21 1/4 x 21 1/4in (framed)
Madi’s joyful experiments in colour and form have resulted in a unique body of work that relates to modern artists like Matisse and Picasso, as well as to the principles of divine harmony that inform the abstract designs of Islamic art. His intensely personal fusion of European and Islamic influences presents itself with a force that is both arresting and subtle. Combining meticulousness and sensuality, Madi’s lines sing with a spontaneous freedom that belies the careful, exacting, calculations that the artist invests in each work. Born in Chabaa, Lebanon, Hussein Madi studied painting at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA) in Beirut and at the Accademia di Belle Arti and the Accademia San Giacomo in Rome, where he resided for twenty-two years. In 1987 he returned to live permanently in Lebanon. Since 1965 until his death Madi held more than fifty solo exhibitions in Lebanon and internationally. These exhibitions have affirmed Madi’s outstanding talents as a painter, sculptor, printmaker and designer.
£1,200-1,800
Property from a Private Collection, Beirut
75
⊕ HUSSEIN MADI (LEBANESE 1938-2024)
SIESTA
signed, numbered and dated 1/2 AP Madi 2022 lower right pigmented giclée on canvas
50.5 x 50cm; 20 x 19 1/2in
54 x 54cm; 21 1/4 x 21 1/4in (framed)
£1,200-1,800
⊕ HUSSEIN MADI (LEBANESE 1938-2024)
RIMA EN VESTE NOIRE
signed, numbered and dated 1/5 Madi 2022 lower right pigmented giclée on canvas
56.5 x 50cm; 22 1/4 x 19 3/4in
60 x 54cm; 23 3/4 x 21 1/4in (framed)
£1,200-1,800
MOHAMMAD EL RAWAS (LEBANESE B.1951)
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING
signed and dated M. EL Rawas 2021, signed M. EL Rawas 2020
giclée on canvas
85 x 60cm; 33 1/2 x 23 3/4in (unframed)
£600-1,000
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