Dubai auction of Iranian contemporary art raises $1.2m for charity

Iranian art continues at its peak in Dubai following the Christie's sale last month. Highlights of the evening included, the sale of Farhad Moshiri's Swarovski crystal adorned painting Only Love (Faghat Eshgh ) which sold for $300,000, YZ Kami's Endless Prayers for $80,000, and Shirin Neshat's photograph from the Tooba series and Parviz Tanavoli's Standing Heech both of which sold for $55,000. Y.Z. Kami and Parviz Tanavoli were present at the live auction.

The auction, at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel, was attended by over 450 guests, with additional absentee bids accepted. Auction sales for other major Iranian artists included, Iran Darroudi whose painting Land of Kindness (Mehraban Abad) sold for $55,000, Rokny Haerizadeh, whose painting Evolution sold for $50,000; and Behzad Behnam, with his two paintings Shiraz and Calligraphy with Poems by Omar Khayyam sold for a combined total of $64,000.

31 Iranian artists in total donated work for Magical Nights in Dubai, a charity fundraiser and unique auction of significant contemporary Iranian art in Dubai from 21-24 November 2007 to benefit the charity Magic of Persia.

Shirley Elghanian, Chief Executive of Magic of Persia, says: "We are truly overwhelmed by the generosity of our world renowned Iranian artists and stunned by the generosity of the collectors and art lovers who came from all parts of the globe to support us here in Dubai."

The Auctioneer for the evening was Jussi Pylkkänen, President of Christie's Middle East and Europe, with the auction catalogue produced by Canvas.

To complete the auction art works by children from the two UAE charities supported by the Magic of Persia, Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs (Dubai) and Future Centre (Abu Dhabi), were sold for a combined total of $23,000.