01 Painting, Middle East Artists, Hayv Kahraman's Cleaning, with Footnotes part #68

Hayv Kahraman

Cleaning, c. 2009

Oil on canvas

52 × 86 in | 132 × 218.4 cm

Private collection

This work is part of a series of large canvases titled Domesticated Marionettes where the representation of the mundane life of an ordinary housewife is highlighted and the monotony of daily chores including that of sexual fulfillment is the focus.

These women assume a false sense of sovereignty and the delusion of being queens in their homes. More on Domesticated Marionettes

Hayv Kahraman’s oil-on-linen paintings depict women in both peaceful repose and in unsettling contortions. Embracing material exploration, the Iraqi-born artist has sliced into her canvases, incorporated acoustic foam amid the linen, painted on wood, made sculpture, sketched, and choreographed performance. Kahraman draws on disparate influences including Renaissance painting, Persian miniature painting, Art Nouveau, and her own experience as a woman in the Iraqi diaspora. Kahraman studied at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts and Umeå University in Sweden. She has exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, London, Dubai, and beyond. Her work belongs to several collections including the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Rubell Family Collection, the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah, and the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha. More on this painting

Hayv Kahraman is an Iraqi artist born in 1981. At the age of 11, her family left Baghdad during the Gulf War and settled in Sweden for several years, where her status of refugee became a catalytic experience for her artistic practice. Having studied graphic design at the Accademia di Arte e Design di Firenze, Italy, Kahraman uses a variety of media including sculpture, drawing and painting to address difficult issues relative to gender inequalities, war and the migrant experience. Channeling refined aesthetics inspired from Islamic arts, Art Nouveau and Japanese paintings to confront the viewer with controversial scenes, the artist engages with the notion of femininity in Middle Eastern cultures. Her approach to gender roles and female identity encapsulates how women are persecuted in their own culture through systematic submission to the male gaze, physicality and politics. More on Hayv Kahraman

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01 Painting, Middle East Artists, Mania Akbari's Untitled 2008, with Footnotes, part #66

Mania Akbari (Iran, born 1974)

Untitled, c. 2008

Diptych, digital print on canvas

each panel 180 x 40cm (70 7/8 x 15 3/4in)

Private collection

Sold for US$8,400 in October 2010

Mania Akbari (September 1974) is an Iranian filmmaker, artist, writer and actress whose works explore women's rights, marriage, sexual identity, disease and body image. Her style, in contrast to the long tradition of melodrama in Iranian cinema, is rooted in the visual arts and autobiography. Because of the taboo themes frankly discussed in her films and her opposition to censorship, she is considered one of the most controversial filmmakers in Iran.[3] As an actress, she is best known for playing the lead role in Abbas Kiarostami's Ten (2002).

Akbari was born in 1974 in Tehran, Iran. Her artistic activities, as a painter, started in 1991 when she took part in various exhibitions in Iran, as well as abroad. She was later exposed to cinema, working as a cinematographer and assistant director on documentary films.

In 2007, Akbari was diagnosed with breast cancer, her struggle with the disease becoming one of the key themes of her films and art works.

From 2007 to 2010, Akbari worked on numerous photography-based works that were featured in various galleries around the world, while she kept making documentary and fiction films until 2011, when during production of her film, From Tehran to London, members of her crew were arrested by Iranian authorities for filming without official permission. Scared she too might be imprisoned, Akbari fled Tehran for London.

Since settling in London, various international retrospectives of Akbari's films have drawn attention to her cinema, among which retrospectives at the BFI, the Oldenburg International Film Festival and the Danish Film Institute are the most notable. More on Mania Akbari 

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest and my art stores at  deviantart and Aaroko

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01 Painting, Middle East Artists, Inji Efflatoun's Mabrouka (She who is Blessed), with Footnotes #70

Inji Efflatoun (Egypt, 1924-1989)

Mabrouka (She who is Blessed), c. 1953

Oil on wood panel

80 x 61cm (31 1/2 x 24in).

Private collection

Estimated for £30,000 - £50,000 in May 2025

Painted in 1953, in the immediate aftermath of Egypt's revolution, Mabrouka stands among Inji Efflatoun's most powerful early works: a poignant portrayal of maternal hardship and quiet resistance, rendered in her deeply empathetic figurative style. The title, Mabrouka, holds dual meaning, it may refer to the name of the central woman, or serve as a more abstract invocation, "she who is blessed." In either case, the irony is stark and deliberate. The mother sits barefoot, breastfeeding her infant, her face cast in exhaustion, one hand pressed to her brow. Beside her, a young girl clings, her eyes wide and wary, watching the viewer as much as the world outside the frame. More on this painting

Inji Efflatoun was born in 1924 to a wealthy family from Cairo’s French-speaking aristocracy. Her mother, a divorcee, opened the first tailoring shop run by a woman. Inji Efflatoun received a strict catholic education before studying at the French Lycée in Cairo, where she became familiar with Marxism. She started painting very early on and, from the age of fifteen, took classes with Kamel el-Telmissany, one of the representatives of Egyptian surrealism. The painter introduced her to the “Art et Liberté” (“Art and Freedom”) movement, a group of artists and intellectuals of communist and anti-imperialist orientation which made use of surrealist creative processes – an influence perceptible in the artist’s earlier output.

Inji Efflatoun quickly asserted her political stance in “Art et Liberté” by engaging in intense militant activity for the better part of fifteen years as from 1940. She was one of the first women to study in the arts department of the University of Cairo, and in 1945 she took part in the creation of the Ligue des jeunes femmes des universities et des instituts (League of young women in universities and institutes), which promoted left-wing, anti-colonialist politics, and campaigned for gender equality. Working for a short while as a teacher and as a journalist, she published several manifestos and, with a small group of women intellectuals and militants, participated in numerous actions in Egypt and Europe in favour of women’s rights and peace. More on Inji Efflatoun

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest and my art stores at  deviantart and Aaroko

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01 Painting, MIDDLE EASTERN ART, Suleiman Mansour's Fisher, with Footnotes #64

Suleiman Mansour

Fisher, c. 2016

Oil on canvas

235⁄8 x 271⁄2in. (60 x 70cm.)

Private collection

Sold for USD 25,200 in May 2023

Due to fear of Israeli attacks, fishermen in Gaza started fishing from shore instead of using their boats, resulting in a modest catch as the fish near shore are typically very small. Israel has killed more than 200 fishermen and forced nearly 4,000 out of employment. 200 fishermen killed in Gaza

Born in a little village near Ramallah in 1947, Suleiman Mansour maintained a great attachment to his native rural hometown and its customs, painting portraits of his relatives since his youngest age. In the 1970s, he took part in a thorough research project on the folkloric heritage of Palestinian culture, an initiative that profoundly shaped his subsequent active involvement in the Palestinian art movement. Preoccupied with the preservation and publication of traditional artworks, Mansour aimed to safeguard indigenous Palestinian culture while offering native forms of inspiration to new generations of artists and influencing contemporary art. More on Suleiman Mansour

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest and my art stores at  deviantart and Aaroko

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03 Paintings, Middle East Artists, Nazir Nabaa's Untitled (Three Ladies), with Footnotes, #72

Nazir Nabaa (Syrian, 1941-2016)

Untitled (Three Ladies), c. 1991

Oil on canvas, in three parts

each: 27 ½ x 43 ½in. (69.5 x 109.5cm.)

Private collection

Sold for USD 87,500 in Mar 2017

As these women are set against intricately and highly rich ornamented backgrounds with arabesque geometric designs, Nabaa references the highly decorated interiors of old Damascene homes whilst simultaneously paying homage to the passage of time. Heavily adorned in beautiful Levantine elements. their beautifully intricate dresses also incorporate arabesque embroidery that merges and interlinks with the arabesque of the background.

The central figure is illustrated as a beautiful and chaste goddess with a flowery crown and veil, flowing richly behind her elegant figure. With her crossed arms, she guards a precious secret, holding tight onto some mysterious edifices. 

On her left, another young woman, pearls adorning her head, symbolises purity. Her wavy hair cascades like a waterfall onto her shoulder, evoking the richness of the land. She symbolises civilisation and enlightenment using the burning and fiery glow of the light, guiding her goddess to the truth. 

On the right side, the third figure gracefully holds gathered fruits in a basket, a symbol of both springtime and fertility. Set within the confines of his frame as well as the arabesque interior, Nabaa enforces the sanctity of marriage, an ideal that remained a big focus as an underlying theme in many of his works. 

Ranging from depictions of Arab women to abstracted portraiture, still lifes and political posters, Nazir Nabaa’s diverse oeuvre is precise in details and textures. A celebrated professor and artist, the thread that unites his paintings is the research that he commits to each one. Alongside that rigour lay his philosophy: “I search for one thing, besides artistic research, I search for the soul.” More on this painting

Born in Damascus, Nazir Nabaa (1939–2016) graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo in 1965. During his studies in Egypt, he met his wife Shalabiya Ibrahim, also an artist. Later, he received another degree from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1974. He was a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus and he was bestowed the National Garter for his work in 2006.

Using vibrant colours, Nabaa’s best-known works portray women amid rich Oriental backdrops as a representation of homeland and history, wherein these archetypical depictions of woman are used as symbols of nationalism. As regional conflicts heightened, the subject of his work began to shift to political themes such as the Palestinian crisis, Lebanese civil war and the American invasion of Iraq.

Nabaa has shown his work at museums such as the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts and has won the Judges Panel award at the Biennials of Alexandria and Cairo. His work has been acquired by institutions such as the Jalanbo Collection, Barjeel Art Foundation and Dalloul Art Foundation. More on Nazir Nabaa

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest and my art stores at  deviantart and Aaroko

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01 Painting, Middle East Artists, Muhanna Durra's Untitled, with Footnotes, #70

Muhanna Durra (1938-2021)

Untitled, c. 2003

Oil on canvas

27 1/2 x 39 1/2 in.

Private collection

Estimate for $4,000-$8,000 in June 2023

Muhanna Al-Dura was born in 1938, in Amman, Jordan, to a Lebanese mother and a Turkish father, He is a Jordanian Painter and a diplomat. He was one of the first painters to introduce abstract art, mainly cubism, into the Jordanian art scene. Still a schoolboy, Durra was trained under Russian artist George Aleef. Later in the 1950s, he was introduced to Dutch artist William Hallowin who, in turn, taught Durra and exposed him to Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt. In 1954, Durra studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, graduation in 1958. Upon his return to Amman, he taught history of art at the Teachers' Training College. In 1964, Durra established the Fine Arts Section at the Department of Culture and Art, in Amman, and Jordan Institute of Arts and Music in 1970, becoming its director from 1970 till 1980.

Mohanna Durra is best known for his sardonic clown portraits created with mastery in free-flowing lines and expressive masses of color. The artist depicts not only the likeness of his subject, but he also captures the most profound emotions. He unearths the grief hidden underneath the clown's expression of joy. Durra is equally celebrated for his deconstructed abstractions in monochromatic palettes. He pays careful attention to the factor of light and the dynamic nature of complex geometric formations. Venturing in different techniques and styles, Durra depends on his mood when producing. His early works comprise portraits of various characters ranging from peasants and Bedouins to acclaimed members of the Jordanian society.

Durra served nearly four decades in government service. In 1961 he received a post at the Jordanian embassy in Rome under the Ministry of Culture and Information. Then he was appointed as Director-General of the Department of Culture and Art in Amman from 1977 till 1983, and Director for Cultural Affairs of the League of Arab States in Tunis from 1980 till 1981, in addition to residencies in Rome, Cairo, and Moscow. He has held numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout the Arab world, Europe, Russia, and the United States. His work is held in collections worldwide, including the Vatican, the Imperial Court of Japan, and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Art, and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Durra passed away in 2021. More on Muhanna Al-Dura

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest and my art stores at  deviantart and Aaroko

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02 Paintings, MIDDLE EASTERN ART, Juliana Séraphim's Untitled , with Footnotes , #59

Juliana Séraphim (1934 - 2005)

Untitled, c. 1978

Oil on canvas

89.5 by 106 cm. 35 1/4 by 45 3/4 in.

Private collection

Sold for 38,100 GBP in April 2023

Juliana Seraphim (born 1934 in Jaffa) is a Palestinian artist.

Seraphim was born in Jaffa in 1934, and was among the first waves of displaced Palestinian refugees to move to Beirut, Lebanon in 1952. She was 14 when her family fled first to Sidon by boat in 1949. After their move to Beirut, she worked in refugee relief while attending art classes.

Juliana Séraphim (1934 - 2005)

Untitled, c. 1980

Oil on canvas

88 x 116 cm

Dalloul Art Foundation

Untitled, 1980, represents a fantastical cityscape featuring mysterious mermaid-like female forms and an overarching giant eye located in the center of the upper half of the composition. The eyelids are painted in flamingo pink, while the eyelashes are tinted olive green with smooth, broad brushstrokes. The towering eye looks over the entire city and its dwellers. Its pupil emits a beam of translucent white light that hones in on a female form dressed in an ornate armor-like cape and a seashell-like crown. The female seems to melt into an eel-like creature painted in olive green. We see a giant seashell beside her, floating in still waters, rendered in petroleum blue. More on this painting

In Beirut, Juliana Séraphim developed her personal style and produced her most notable works. She privately studied with Lebanese painter Jean Khalifeh (1923–78).  After studying at the Lebanese Fine Arts Academy and privately with other local contemporary artists, she began to show her work in solo exhibitions and gained recognition within Beirut. In her studies, she was awarded grants to study abroad in Madrid, Florence, and Spain. She then went on to internationally represent Lebanon in three biennials.

The images in my paintings come from deep within me: they are surreal and unexplainable. Consciously I want to portray a woman's world and how important love is to a woman. Few men understand the quality of love that a woman seeks. I try to show them. (Juliana Seraphim quoted in H. Khal, The woman artist in Lebanon, Beirut University College 1987, p. 71).

Whereas her Lebanese contemporaries often take on a figurative style in order to demonstrate the central issues of the Palestinian struggle, Seraphim’s visual language is characterized as having complex layers of overlapping lines and improvisational dream-like imagery. In this way, Seraphim cultivates a shifting reality of infinite depth and creation. Her dream-like imagery also implies the unsteady nature of a long-held memory of a cherished place - and in doing so she transcribes her political concerns regarding her home through the lens of personal and surreal imagery while also encouraging the viewer to actively participate with the imagery presented. When asked, Seraphim cites the source of her surrealist imagery as memories of her childhood. She drew specific inspiration from the faded frescoes of winged beings on the ceiling of her grandfather's home, and former convent, in Jerusalem. More on Juliana Seraphim

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest and my art stores at  deviantart and Aaroko

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