Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art

Dr. Ridha Moumni is a historian of Art and Archaeology, specialising in antiquity and the early and modern art of Tunisia. He holds a PhD in North African Roman Architecture from La Sorbonne University. Former fellow of the French Academy in Rome (Villa Medici), Dr. Moumni was from 2019 to 2021 an Aga Khan Fellow at the Department of Art History at Harvard University and conducted research at Harvard's Center of Middle Eastern Studies. Dr. Moumni joined Christie's in 2021 as a Senior Client Advisor, focusing on the Middle East, before moving into his current role as Chairman of the Middle East and Africa. He has extensive experience in leading cultural projects and curating exhibitions of Middle Eastern art.

Marie-Claire is a specialist in the Post-War & Contemporary Art department at Christie’s based between London and Dubai. She is passionate about discovering and promoting emerging and overlooked artists with a particular interest in artists from the Middle East and North Africa. In her role as Head of Sale for Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, she has contributed to the growth of the category and has helped to give it a contemporary and international profile through successful auctions and private selling exhibitions in London, Dubai and Paris.

Marie-Claire grew up in the Netherlands and speaks fluent Dutch and English, conversational French, and is learning Arabic. Marie-Claire attended Amsterdam University College and holds a BA with a double major in International Relations and Economics and a minor in Art History. She moved to London to complete a MA in Art Business and joined Christie’s in 2015. In the Post-War & Contemporary Department in London she has been working across the Evening, Day and Online sales, gaining a breadth of knowledge of the art market and playing a pivotal role in the consignment and successful sale of various single owner collections including the Jeremy Lancaster Collection, the Le Jeune Collection and most recently the Dalloul Art Collection.

Based in London, Samia serves as the cataloguer for the Modern and Contemporary Middle East department. She moved to London and joined Christie’s in September of 2022 and was previously the sale coordinator for the department as well. Samia was born and raised in Jordan and is fluent in Arabic and English. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History of Art and Architecture from Harvard University and a dual degree masters in Architecture and Landscape Architecture from University of Pennsylvania.

Kanon Ida is the Client Liaison & Researcher in the Chairman’s Office EMEA, supporting the company’s regional growth and cross-category client development. She joined Christie’s in 2023, bringing with her a breadth of experience from leading institutions including the Guggenheim Museum, the Venice Biennale, and other international auction houses.

Prior to her current position, Kanon was a Sale Coordinator in the Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art department, where she successfully managed auctions, private sales, and exhibitions across London and Dubai.

She holds a degree in History of Art from The Courtauld Institute of Art, with a specialisation in Contemporary Art and is fluent in Italian, Japanese, and English; conversant in French; and is currently studying Arabic and Mandarin.