Bonhams Opens Bidding for Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art

Bonhams presents its Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art auction, featuring works of profound cultural and intellectual depth. Among the premier offerings is Mahmoud Sabri’s C2 + H5 + OH (from the Quantum Realism Series), a striking visual exploration of scientific and artistic synthesis, carrying an estimate of £40,000 to £60,000. Another highlight is Shakir Hassan Al Said’s Portrait of a Woman, which carries an estimate of £20,000 to £30,000, capturing the delicate textures of human form. Suad Al Attar’s Untitled, with an estimate of £18,000 to £25,000, and Hussein Madi’s Untitled, also estimated at £18,000 to £25,000, present contrasting visions of regional modernism. Omar El-Nagdi’s Le Couple, estimated at £15,000 to £20,000, portrays intimate human connection, while Rabab Nemr’s In the Shadow of the Tree of Life, estimated at £12,000 to £18,000, offers a symbolic narrative. Mahmoud Sabri’s Study of Grief, also estimated at £12,000 to £18,000, provides a somber counterpoint, and Nasrollah Afjei’s Untitled, estimated at £10,000 to £15,000, showcases intricate calligraphic form.

This auction follows several notable July sales at Bonhams. These include A Life in Ceramics: The Peter and Mary White Collection of Chinese Art, Part IV, July, which realized £208,205 across 137 lots sold. Additionally, Modern British and Irish Art, July brought in £759,501 with 156 lots sold, and Travel & Exploration: including the Roger Ward Photography Collection, July achieved £532,966 with 183 lots sold.

For industry professionals tracking the wider market, this sale represents an important moment. Within the broader art category, which has realized $232,654,277 across all tracked houses this year with an average sell-through of 86.2%, Phillips currently leads the category. Bonhams itself has established a strong presence, with a year-to-date total across all its sales of $18,496,614. In its sterling-denominated results, the house has achieved £9,125,168 in year-to-date sales, maintaining a solid sell-through of 82.4%. This is Bonhams's # sale of 20 concluded this year.

Currently open for bidding now, the auction offers collectors an accessible entry point into highly sought-after Middle Eastern modernism, with estimates starting at modest levels for the calligraphic works and extending to the premier scientific compositions.