(MENAFN- Mid-East.Info) Rare artworks and masterpieces on sale in charity art auction to be held in Dubai
Proceeds to go towards the '10 Million Meals' campaign to provide food aid for disadvantaged communities in 30 countries
Jonny Gould
Dubai, UAE:The '100 Million Meals' charity art auction, to be held in Dubai on Saturday to raise funds to provide food aid for disadvantaged communities in 30 countries, will feature rare artworks and masterpieces from the private collections of leading contemporary artists and world leaders.
Headlining the items on the bidding list is a part of Kaaba cover (Kiswa), embroidered in gold and silver and adorned with Arabic calligraphy of Quranic verses, donated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Connecting humanity
Record-breaking artist Sacha Jafri will have a live painting performance with Hollywood actor Will Smith in the in-person auction that will take place Mandarin Oriental Jumeira Dubai on Saturday, April 24. The piece, titled 'The Journey of Humanity – With Love we are Reconnected, Inspired, Re-Energized,' will have the hand-prints and signatures of both Smith and Jafri. It will be an additional layer on top of one of Jafri's iconic Canvas-Panels inspired from his record breaking $62million painting 'The Journey of Humanity'.
In addition, the clothes worn by Jafri while creating his record-breaking 'The Journey of Humanity' will be up for bidding. The paint-filled trousers and top in a hand-made museum box-frame, hand signed by the artist, tell the story of the painting that took seven months to complete in Dubai during the COVID-19 lockdown. The painting broke two world records: the Guinness World Records for 'the largest art canvas' and the most expensive painting ever sold by a living artist under the age of 80.
Jafri will also have on display his 'A New Hope – A Child's Prayer' that celebrates the UAE's 50th anniversary and its path-breaking journey to space. It features the Hand-Prints & Signatures of international celebrities supporting the '100 Million Meals' campaign, including: Huda Kattan, Eva Longoria, Virat Kohli, Jacqueline Fernandez, Boris Becker, Cristiano Ronaldo, Steve Harvey, Marjorie Harvey, Maria Bravo, Roger Federer and Mona Kattan.
A symbol of freedom
Two items auctioned as one, are the 'Swallow' line drawing and the 'Swallow' black and white by the late South African President Nelson Mandela, which came directly through his family. Mandela found his inspiration behind these drawings when he was serving his prison term on Robben Island. He would look up to the sky and reflect that neither the warders nor the prisoners knew the freedom experienced by the swallows. The original & unique pastel and charcoal drawings are drawn one in black, and one in white.
Henri Matisse's 'Fleurs dans un vase' (Flower in a vase) will be on display. The pen and India ink on paper are dated back to 1942 – signed, dated, and inscribed on the lower right for authenticity. The bottle depicted in Matisse's drawing has been in his collection for many years. It is made of opaque turquoise glass, from Bohemia or Turkey, from the 19th century, and it has an Islamic crescent in the central frieze, on the other side from the one Matisse depicted in this drawing.
Moving on, you will find Pablo Picasso's gold medallions. Many people, even those knowledgeable about the great artist and his works, are not aware of the series of silver plates, gold plates, and gold medallions. The existence of these was, for many years, known only to a small circle of connoisseurs and friends. Picasso commissioned the prominent goldsmith, Francois Hugo, to create a series of patters, dishes and medallions in gold and silver to be made after original models and designs he himself had sketched.
Seven of these medallions will be on display and up for bidding at the auction – 'Faune Cavalier', a 5-cms 23-carat gold medallion; 'Visage de Faune', another 5-cms 23-carat gold medallion; 'Profile de Jacqueline', a 5.5-cms 23-carat gold medallion; 'Horloge a la Ligne', another 5.5-cms 23-carat gold medallion; 'Jacqueline Au Chevalet', a 5-cms 23-carat gold medallion; 'Tete Au Masque', a 5-cms 23-carat gold medallion; and 'Vaullaris', a 5-cms 23-carat gold medallion.
As for drawings, Salvador Dali's 'Etude de visages: Madonna, enfant et profile d'homme' (Study of faces: Madonna, Child and Profile of a Man), circa 1954, has a direct link to Dali himself, sourced from the Perrot-Moore Museum auction.
John Peter Moore first met Dali in 1956 and arranged for Dali to be paid in cash for a painting of Laurence Olivier as Richard III. John soon became Dali's business manager. Moore made money for Dali through his merchandising schemes. Although he was replaced in 1975, he maintained good relations with Dali, and opening the Perrot-Moore Museum in Cadaqués in 1978 to show his collection of Dalis to the public.
David Hockney's masterpieces
The listed items for sale at the auction also include David Hockney's inkjet print titled 'In Front of House Looking West', signed and stamped by the artist in pencil. The painting depicts Hockney's house in the French countryside of Normandy where he spends time reflecting and documenting his surroundings in ink drawings, iPad drawings, and paintings. Vibrant pictures of Hockney's surroundings, including his Normandy house, its environs and interior were drawn in ink and reproduced in inkjet prints.
Another David Hockney piece, an inkjet printed computer drawing on paper titled 'Matelot Kevin Druez 2', will be auctioned. The painting depicts a sailor smoking a cigarette, while gazing provocatively into the observer.
Joan Miro is another artist who will have two pieces for sale. The first – 'Untitled' – is an original drawing on board with colored crayons and marker pens (red, black, and green, with black ink). The board on which the piece is drawn is possibly the end cover of a book. It has gilding round the entire edge. The back of the board has a mottled white on cream appearance. The frame is also believed to be of Japanese origin.
Miro's second artwork – 'Personages, Oiseau' –that reflects the artist's passion for the concept of recycling that is so popular today. He has been known for reusing old pieces of wood and cardboard as backcloths for his art. For him, if the piece was damaged or irregular in shape, it didn't matter. It was part of his concept of the destruction of art.
The last item on the bidding list is Henry Moore's bronze sculpture with a dark brown and green patina, titled 'Mother Holding Child'.
The live charity art auction presents an opportunity for art collectors, enthusiasts, and investors, to own once-in-a- lifetime display items, while donating for a good cause.
Funds raised from the auction will go towards providing 100 million meals for disadvantaged individuals and families in 30 countries during the Holy month of Ramadan.
Other ways to donate
Companies and individuals can donate to the '100 Million Meals' campaign in four simple ways. First, on the campaign's website www.100millionmeals.ae; second, by making a transfer to the designated bank account through Dubai Islamic Bank (AE08 0240 0015 2097 7815 201 ); third, by sending 'Meal' on SMS to the UAE specified numbers (Du or Etisalat) listed on the campaign's website; and fourth, by contacting the campaign call center on the toll-free number 8004999 .
Your Host for the Evening
Hosting the charity art auction on Saturday will be Jonny Gould, former presenter of the sunrise program on Sky News and sports news anchor on Radio Smooth and BBC Radio 2. Prior to that, he presented the sports segment on ITV London, then joined Channel 5 to present the Baseball League program. Simultaneously, he wrote a weekly column on baseball that was published in the Daily Mirror. At some point in time, he was a commentator for horse races and managed their auctions. With a comedic approach, he's known to have a talent for emceeing events, especially charity auctions, for his way in gather donations.
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