Modern & Contemporary Arab & Iranian Art

While international media has focused on the west as the contemporary art market has so dramatically flourished, artists in the Arab world and Iran have for a long time also been producing exciting works of contemporary art.

Pioneering artists from all over the Middle East region are represented in Christie’s auctions, many being showcased for the first time on the international art market platform. Such a dialogue and the diverse fabric of modern and contemporary art from the region represents the uniqueness of Christie’s Dubai sales, and showcases the strength and vibrancy of the Middle East's art scene. As such, many world record prices have been established at auction for quality works by Arab and Iranian artists.

In May 2006 Christie’s Dubai held its inaugural sale of International Modern and Contemporary Art. This was the first Christie’s auction to feature Modern & Contemporary Arab & Iranian Art. The Arab and Iranian section exceeded all expectations, almost tripling its presale estimate, with $2.2 million raised from this category alone. Just eight months later, at the second of these sales in Dubai in February 2007, a comparable selection of Arab and Iranian art raised just over $4 million. However, the sale in October 2007 was the true watershed with over $12.6 million of Arab and Iranian Art sold in one evening.

The fourth series of sales in April 2008 sold over $18 million for Arab and Iranian art. For the first time in this category in any auction house, three works in this category achieved $1 million hammer price or above.