Author: Artiana Auction House

ARTIANA – Highlights – Lot 13 – Art Beyond Borders – African, Middle Eastern and Asian Art – Online Auction – No Buyer’s Premium

Javlon Umarbekov (b. 1946) – ‘Tuareg Family’ – 1979 – acrylic on canvas – 47.25 x 41.25 in. (120 x 105 cm.) – Lot 13

Javlon Umarbekov uses art as a means of crossing thresholds between the East and the West, bridging cultural and even religious and political divides. Relying on traditional images and themes, his work exudes authenticity and verity. 

Here, he employs his individual interpretation of Cubist style in bright and resonant colors while reflecting on the unique history and heritage of the Tuareg people. Inspired by his travels in the Algiers, home to some of the Tuareg people, he depicts a Tuareg family in a rich blue color. Colloquially known as the “Blue people of the Sahara” because of the color of their traditional robes and veils, the Tuaregs wear this as a symbolic and important part of their cultural identity. This blue colored garment, Tagelmust, stain their skins and lend it a bluish color emphasized here by the artist. By incorporating oriental and occidental aesthetics with a rich cultural narrative, he transforms his work into a visual vocabulary that is truly his own.

Auction Catalogue – Art Beyond Borders – March 28 – 31, 2019

ARTIANA announces Art Beyond Borders auction | No Buyer’s Premium | 28 – 31 March 2019

Artiana announces its first auction for the year slated for March 28-31, 2019. Aptly titled, Art Beyond Borders, the sale will be the auction house’s inaugural international sale. It will feature 40 lots in total from artists from 15 different countries across the world. Estimates ranging from USD 600 to USD 20,000 for works in various and wide range of media will be available.

The cover lot is an untitled work by leading Middle Eastern artist, Mahmoud Hammad estimated at USD 20,000, other entries of Middle Eastern art include works by renowned painter and sculptor, Khaled Ben Slimane and French-Iraqi calligraphist, Hassan Massoudy. Also featured are Korean and Vietnamese art with a strong selection of contemporary works from leading artists alongside works from established Uzbekistan masters Bakhodir Jalal, Bobur Ismoilov, and Javlon Umarbekov.

A sculpture from South African based Bulgarian artist Rado Kirov together with works from popular African artists Ablade Glover and Kofi Agorsor, Indian modernists S.H. Raza and Paritosh Sen will also go under the hammer among others. 

The collection will be sold through an online auction at www.artiana.com from March 28 (9 am) through March 31st (9:00 pm) UAE time with a No Buyer’s Premium policy in an essentially ‘What You Bid Is What You Pay’ format. FlexiPay which allow buyers to ‘Bid Now Pay Later’ will also be available for eligible clients. (FlexiPay scheme details are available on the website.)

The catalogue can be viewed online, and viewings can be arranged by prior appointment. Collectors may place bids at ARTIANA’s website, or through the mobile app available on both Google Play for Android and the App Store for Apple devices.

For information on how to register and bid, visit their website at www.artiana.com; For assistance and inquiries, call Artiana’s Help Desk at +971 55 815 3030 or write to [email protected]. 

Auction Catalogue – Art Beyond Borders – March 28 – 31, 2019

Indian artwork sales rise 21.6% in 2018, SH Raza tops charts with Tapovan

Published January 14, 2019 (moneycontrol.com), by Tasmayee Laha Roy

With the economic outlook for 2019 remaining tentative, the Indian art industry is certain to witness a strong amount of trading

Art works brought India a reason to cheer in 2018 as sales recorded a 21.6 percent rise. According to the Artery India Annual Market Report 2018, out of 1,559 works up for sale in 2018, 1469 fetched Rs 685 crore. In 2017, out of 1,902 Indian artworks that went up for sale across the world, only 1680 got sold clocking sales worth Rs 563 crore.

“2018 has been a strong year, with sales reviving following the previous year’s slump that was recorded in the wake of demonetisation. The turnover also benefited from the comparatively richer quality of work consigned for sale in auction. The private sales domain recorded major activity, with the highest volume of sales in the past four years,” said Arvind Vijaymohan, CEO at Artery India, an art intelligence firm.

The top artist of 2018, was modern artist SH Raza with 67 artworks of his being sold for Rs 98 crore in the year gone by. Raza’s most expensive artwork sale was done by Christie’s in New York. The acrylic on canvas called Tapovan was sold for Rs 29 crore.

Online drive

Interestingly, online sales brought in more money than offline sale in 2018. While the turnover from online sale of Indian artwork stood at Rs 339 crore that from offline sales was Rs 318 crore. A lot of online auction houses across the world gained from this new wave of online sales in 2018. Out of 716 works offered online, 657 were sold. On the other hand close to 97 per cent of the 843 Indian art work offered on sale offline were sold.

Dubai’s online Indian artwork selling platform Artiana is an example. ARTIANA’s total auction sales in 2018, for their two South Asian Art auctions crossed the USD 3.5 million mark.

“Continued growth and engagement of new clients from within UAE, and India, as well as other parts of the world, including many first-time buyers, were equal contributors to the overall sales. Highest prices were bid for paintings by M.F. Husain‘s Trinity of Mother Teresa ($320,000) and ‘Arjun and Sudarshan Chakra‘ (USD 300,000), works of other artists S.H. Raza and F.N. Souza performed well in the auction confirming the continued demand of modern Indian art,” said Lavesh Jagasia, managing director at Artiana.

2019 outlook 

“With the economic outlook for 2019 remaining tentative, the Indian art industry is certain to witness a strong amount of trading. In the scenario of the market slumping, there is certain to be a high level of distressed acquisitions, that will be conducted in the private sales channel. If the market holds, the surge in prices of the top 16 Modernists will continue its upward ascent, following after the charts from 2013 to current date,” added Vijaymohan.

ARTIANA’s auction sales turnover cross USD 3.5 million in 2018

Dubai – ARTIANA’s total auction sales in 2018 crossed the USD 3.5 million mark after the conclusion of the South Asian Art ‘Classical, Modern and Contemporary’ sale on 10 December 2018, which realized USD 1.8 million and achieved sell-through rates of 92% by lot and 102% by value. 

The first of the two South Asian Art auctions held in May was Artiana’s first white glove sale with a 100% sell-though rates and 111% of the total lot value sold. Both auctions were held with Artiana’s ‘No Buyer’s premium’ policy ensuring the minimum transaction cost for both buyers and sellers.

Growth continues

Continued growth and engagement of clients from within UAE, India, and other parts of the world – many of them first-time buyers, were equal contributors to the overall sales.

Highest prices were bid for paintings by M.F. Husain – ‘Trinity of Mother Teresa’ (USD 320,000) and ‘Arjun and Sudarshan Chakra’ (USD 300,000). Work of artists S.H. Raza and F.N. Souza also performed well in the auctions confirming the continued demand for modern Indian art.

Other established modernists Sakti Burman, Krishen Khanna and Ram Kumar completed the top ten list of highest prices realized.

Sculptures and company paintings attracted good interest from collectors throughout the year and opened up the accessibility of this genre to enthusiasts in the region.

Exceptional prices for Zarina Hashmi’s pieces were achieved on the back of increased demand for her works. The artist’s delicately executed prints, crafted through handmade paper, have become one of the most sought-after pieces for contemporary art collectors. Zarina and other leading printmakers work will be showcased in our upcoming Prints and Multiples Art Auction in early 2019. 

Future plans and engagement

The increase in the overall sell-through rate cements Artiana’s presence in the South Asian auction calendar whilst concluding another year of successful sales.

With its expanding client base and continued diversification across collecting categories, clients can look forward to rare pieces and wide range of artworks in the following year. Artiana’s line-up include Prints and Multiples, South Asian Art and Art Beyond Borders Auctions for 2019. For more details, visit the website at www.artiana.com.


ARTIANA – South Asian Art Auction | Over US$ 1.8 Millions in Sales | 102% Estimate Value Sold | 92% Lots Sold

Our recently concluded South Asian Art auction was a success, with 92% of the lots sold, over USD 1.8 million total sales and 102% estimate value sold.

For the complete auction result and analysis, please visit www.artiana.com.

Thank you for your bids! 

ARTIANA | South Asian Art | Online Auction – No Buyer’s Premium | Classical, Modern and Contemporary | Sale 1802 | 6 – 10 December 2018

MF Husain’s unseen works to be auctioned online by Artiana in December

Published November 17, 2018 (moneycontrol.com), by Tasmayee Laha Roy

Maqbool Fida Husain (b.1915), ‘Arjun and Sudarshan Chakra’ (circa 1980s). Estimate: $300,000-500,000

In a bid to make the deals lucrative for the buyers, Artiana’s finance arm is offering an installment scheme which allows buyers to pay for an artwork in installments ranging from 3 months to 24 months.

Known for their luxury collectibles, UAE’s Artiana is all set to bring to the international market some of the unseen works of Indian artist Maqbool Fida Husain during their December auction.

With 50 works on display in the online auction, the range will offer works of modern and contemporary artists from the Indian subcontinent including a suite of Company School paintings.

The highlights of the auction are MF Husain’s canvas from the 1980s titled ‘Arjun and Sudarshan Chakra’ and another work, ‘A Magician Dangles the Fortune Bird in a Cage’ from the seminal Lost Continent series. Both the works are new to the market for art connoisseurs. The other important works from prominent artists include SH Raza’s 1998 work ‘Prakriti’ and ‘Srijan’ from 2007 and FN Souza’s ‘Profile’ and ‘Red Houses with Front Garden’ from 1957.

Some other artists on display include Jogen Chowdhury, Jamil Naqsh and Zarina Hashmi among others.

While the ten Company School paintings are all priced at a base bid under $1000, the other works have a range of starting bids between $6000 and $2,60,000.

“The costliest of the lot is Husain’s Arjun and Sudarshan Chakra which is a 40inch x 60 inch acrylic on canvas and has the potential to sell for anything between $300000 and $500000. This is followed by one of his other works -A Magician Dangles the Fortune Bird in a Cage which is an oil on canvas painted in 2005. The starting bid for the same is $1,80,000 and has the potential to sell for anything between $2,00,000 and $3,00,000,” said Lavesh Jagasia, founder of Artiana.

In a bid to make the deals lucrative for the buyers, Artiana’s finance arm is also offering an installment scheme which allows buyers to pay for artwork in installments ranging from 3 months to 24 months at a service charge of 1 percent a month after paying 20 percent of the price as a down payment.

ARTIANA – Highlights – Lot 35 – Classical, Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art – Online Auction – No Buyer’s Premium

Sayed Haider Raza – Srijan – 2007 – acrylic on canvas – 57.5 x 45 in. (146 x 114.3 cm.) – Lot 35

Srijan, prominent artist S.H. Raza’s seminal work will be up the auction block on December 6-10, 2018 in ARTIANA’s South Asian art sale. The artist, one of India’s best colorists, is best-known for works that are densely geometric; inviting viewers into deep meditation and contemplation. 

The focus of SH Raza’s art over the last decades has been to explore and represent the elements of nature, he used the language of symbols and saturated his canvases in geometric shapes and colors to produce powerful works that are contemplative and spiritual. Merging his background and training, he produced work both with deep Indian vision and French plastic mastery, enfolded in modernism yet with the deep resonance of the past. Raza repeatedly revisited his defining themes creating an extraordinary series of meditative and symbolic paintings.

In this piece, Srijan, which loosely translates to creation, Raza’s geometric vocabulary was apparent. Deeply immersed in ancient Indian cosmological symbolism, he celebrated the process of creation in an expansive interplay of visually disparate images sharing a collective narrative. The painting is divided into sections enclosing principle forms, each with strips of colors and variation of aligned triangles, with a black bindu in the upper center of the canvas. Just below that is a pair of bindu in red and blue representing male and female energies – close but not merging into each other. The colors, like most of his works, are remarkably vibrant with a concentration of red, orange, and earthy browns.

Supporting a central idea, Raza wields his unique visual language to reinforce the gestural idioms and philosophical aesthetics of his work. The painting seems to chronicle a story with the different patterned squares coming together to form the whole construct, with each fragment with its own metaphysical significance. The serpent-like painted circles of kundalini forming an unbroken continuity are the rejuvenation and the cyclical nature of life; the Bindu which is the primordial life-force, in turn, connects to germination which is conveyed with the use of triangular yonis; while the symbols of fire, water, earth, wind and sky embody elements that sustain life. The interconnectedness of the key components of the universe simplified in Raza’s canvas.

Auction Catalogue – South Asian Art ‘Classical, Modern and Contemporary’ – December 6-10, 2018

ARTIANA announces Online Auction of Classical, Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art – No Buyer’s Premium – 6-10 December 2018

 

Maqbool Fida Husain (1915-2011), ‘Arjun and Sudarshan Chakra’ (circa 1980s). Estimate: $300,000-500,000

ARTIANA, UAE’s first home-grown auction house for art and luxury collectibles, will offer works of modern and contemporary artists from the Indian subcontinent, including a suite of Company School paintings in its upcoming December auction. The auction will take place online at www.artiana.com from December 6 (6pm) till December 10 (9pm), 2018. The works listed in the auction are available for viewing at Artiana’s viewing gallery.

The auction features 50 works in various media such as oils, acrylics, and paperwork by established masters such as M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza, Jogen Chowdhury, Jamil Naqsh, Zarina Hashmi among others, alongside works by contemporary artists.

The highlights include M.F. Husain’s canvas from the 1980s titled ‘Arjun and Sudarshan Chakra’ as the cover lot of the sale and another work, ‘A Magician Dangles the Fortune Bird in a Cage’ from the seminal Lost Continent series; S.H. Raza’s ‘Prakriti’ (1998), ‘Srijan (2007) and F.N. Souza’s ‘Profile’ and ‘Red Houses with Front Garden’ both from 1957.

Besides Artiana’s attractive No Buyer’s Premium policy which essentially is ‘What You Bid Is What You Pay’, from this auction they have also launched FlexiPay – an installment scheme which allows buyers to ‘Bid Now Pay Later’ subject to eligibility and pre-approval prior to the auction. (FlexiPay scheme details are available in the catalogue and on the website)

A print catalogue is available from Artiana upon request and the online catalogue can be viewed on their website. Collectors may place bids at ARTIANA’s website www.artiana.com, or through the mobile app available on both Google Play for Android and the App Store for Apple devices. 

For more information and registration, visit www.artiana.com; For viewing appointments, write to [email protected] or call ARTIANA’s help desk at +971558153030/ +971558253030

Auction Catalogue – South Asian Art ‘Classical, Modern and Contemporary’ – December 6-10, 2018

ARTIANA – Highlights – Lot 31 – Classical, Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art – Online Auction – No Buyer’s Premium

Francis Newton Souza – ‘Red Houses with Front Garden’ – 1957 – Oil on board – 36 x 24 in. (91.5 x 61 cm.) – Lot 31

Featured in ARTIANA’s upcoming online auction on December 6-10, 2018, is this striking painting by artist Francis Newton Souza – ‘Red Houses with Front Garden’. This work of the artist had been exhibited and published in the South Asian Modern Masters of Grosvenor Gallery in London.

Francis Newton Souza is arguably one of the greatest and most celebrated painters in the history of Indian contemporary art. Versatile and spontaneous over the command of his pen and brush, his facility with his craft shows in the diversity of his works. From landscapes, nudes, still-life and to his widely popular strongly drawn heads, Souza spanned the entire gamut.

Painted in 1957, the picture is part of the culmination of both technique and subject in the artist’s prime decade. “Red Houses with Front Garden” depicts an English suburban landscape in Souza’s signature strong and expressive style. The houses, situated in a grassy space, are rendered in simple rectilinear structures punctuated by gnarled trees. The trees set in the foreground give the picture a sense of depth. Unlike other artists, Souza’s landscape is not figurative or life-like, instead, they are vehicles of his mood and expression. Inspired by the ecclesiastical architecture of the Roman Catholic churches from his native Goa, the palette of the work was indicative of Souza’s interest in stained-glass windows illustrated with his use of luminous hues framed by dark outlines. Like his other landscapes, the sky appears stormy and turbulent lending a disconcerting sense in the otherwise peaceful scenario. This can be attributed to Souza’s angular brush strokes.

Auction Catalogue – South Asian Art ‘Classical, Modern and Contemporary’ – December 6-10, 2018

ARTIANA – Highlights – Lot 42 – Classical, Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art – Online Auction – No Buyer’s Premium

Artiana Auction House will host its South Asian Art online auction on 6- 10 December 2018. Featuring a total of 50 lots, the sale boasts work from modern masters and leading contemporary artists from the Indian subcontinent. Marquee lots to go under the gavel at this auction will be exhibited for viewing at their Downtown Dubai gallery starting December 1st until the 6th by appointment. This includes Sayed Haider Raza‘s seminal work,  ‘Prakriti’ (1998) estimated at $150,000 – $250,000.

Sayed Haider Raza – Prakriti – 1998 – acrylic on canvas – 39.25 x 39.25 in. (100 x 100 cm.) – Lot 42

Throughout his career, Sayed Haider Raza has been influenced by the mystical power of nature. Drawn by his Indian heritage and driven by his desire for the elimination of the inessentials he began extensive pictorial research of the elements, the potency of colors, and symbols which soon become the formal elements of his paintings. Preoccupied with the use of these elements, it became the center of Raza’s artistic vocabulary and true raison d’être – the purpose of the existence of his painting. He went on to perfect this symbolism throughout the 1980-1990s.

Maintaining harmony in the use of simple geometry and pure color, he adopted a symbolic language to represent different aspects of the natural world. The current work is delineated in sections, with each of them containing an image, usually in geometric shape suggesting the essence of the element. He uses primary colors to highlight the elements; fire, water, wind, earth and the sun. Here he utilizes vibrant red, electric blue, black, ochres and white colors which are also significant colors to the Indian tradition.

S. H. Raza exploits shapes, lines, and diagonals to illustrate the union of forces in the universe not merely from form and color but also from their arrangement on the canvas. His works express a highly simplified perception of the powerful forces inherent in nature. “At the epicenter of many of these paintings is a dark, blank void. Emanating from this inner core the forms and shapes are like veins, energizing and giving life to the painting. The viewer begins a visual journey outwards from this center, a journey through the elements of life itself. Raza explains that at the heart of this unique visual language lie the five key symbols of fire and water, earth, wind, and sky, brought together within a geometric framework that also contains signifiers of fertility and fruitfulness, all together underlining the inevitable interrelationship of the key components of the universe and the interconnections of our humble lives within it” (S. H. Raza, Saffronart and Berkeley Square Gallery exhibition catalogue, 2005, not paginated).

Auction Catalogue – South Asian Art ‘Classical, Modern and Contemporary – December 6-10, 2018