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 

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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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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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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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07 works, Middle East Artists, The Art of War, Jan Saudek's Silent witness, with Footnotes #104

After Jan Saudek

Silent Witness 1

AI Generated

1024 × 1024

deviantart

As the angel passed through the destroyed city she bore witness to the inhumanity of man towards his brother and felt a great heaviness in her heart. The once vibrant streets, now shrouded in ash and sorrow, echoed with the remnants of laughter that had been silenced by greed and hate. Crumbling buildings, like sentinels of despair, stood as testament to dreams shattered and lives lost.

After Jan Saudek

Silent Witness 2

AI Generated

1024 × 1024

deviantart

She saw mothers clutching their children, eyes wide with terror, seeking refuge in the debris strewn by conflicts they never chose. Brothers lay in the rubble, divided not by blood but by ideology, their final breaths spent in a struggle that seemed both futile and profound. She witnessed the empty gaze of a child, bereft of innocence, holding onto a tattered toy—the last remnant of a life that once was.

After Jan Saudek

Silent Witness 3

AI Generated

1024 × 1024

deviantart

With each step, the angel felt the weight of sorrow bearing down on her wings, a reminder of the fragility of humanity. She wept for those who had turned their backs on compassion, for the hearts hardened by a thirst for power and control. Her luminous presence seemed at odds with the darkness surrounding her, an embodiment of hope in a world seemingly bereft of it.

After Jan Saudek

Silent Witness 4

AI Generated

nightcafe

After Jan Saudek

Silent Witness 5

AI Generated

nightcafe

After Jan Saudek

Silent Witness 6

AI Generated

nightcafe

In the shadows, a flicker of light emerged—a small group of survivors, helping one another, sharing what little they had. They gathered around a meager fire, their faces etched with resilience. They spoke not of vengeance but of rebuilding, a tapestry of humanity woven together despite the struggle.

After Jan Saudek

Silent Witness 7

AI Generated

1024 × 1024

playground

The angel paused, her heart swelling at this glimmer of hope. She descended gently, her presence enveloping the group in a warm embrace. "Even in your darkest hour, remember love is still within you," she said softly. "It will guide you through the trials ahead. For it is in unity that strength is found."

Jan Saudek (born 13 May 1935 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech art photographer and painter. 

According to Saudeks's biography, he got his first camera, a Kodak Baby Brownie, in 1950. He apprenticed to a photographer and in 1952 started working as a print shop worker, where he worked until 1983. In 1959, he started painting and drawing. After completing his military service, he was inspired in 1963 by the catalogue for Edward Steichen's The Family of Man exhibition, to try to become a serious art photographer. In 1969, he traveled to the United States and was encouraged in his work by curator Hugh Edwards.

Returning to Prague, he was forced to work in a clandestine manner in a cellar, to avoid the attentions of the secret police, as his work turned to themes of personal erotic freedom, and used implicitly political symbols of corruption and innocence. From the late 1970s, he became recognized in the West as the leading Czech photographer. In 1983, the first book of his work was published in the English-speaking world. The same year, he became a freelance photographer as the Czech Communist authorities allowed him to cease working in the print shop, and gave him permission to apply for a permit to work as an artist. More Jan Saudek

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01 painting, Middle East Artists, The Art of War, Suleiman Mansour's Gaza, with Footnotes #103

Suleiman Mansour

Gaza, c. 2014

Oil on canvas

33 3/8 x 44 3/8 in. (85 x 113cm.)

Private collection

Sold for USD 43,750 on Mar 2019

Suleiman Mansour, together with Ismail Shammout are one of the two most important Palestinian artists who created a national identity for Palestinians over the years. Since the early 1970s, Mansour has been a champion and pioneer of the Palestinian artistic movement that has continuously pushed against the challenges and burdens that the community has faced. Inviting the viewer to feel the burden and struggle of the heavy weight of Palestinian history, the painting signifies a bleak future that has become something to fear, depicting the agony of the people since the loss of their land. More on this painting

Sliman Mansour ( born 1947), is a Palestinian painter, considered an important figure among contemporary Palestinian artists. Mansour is considered an artist of intifada whose work captures to the cultural concept of sumud. Palestinian artist and scholar Samia Halaby has identified Mansour as part of the Liberation Art Movement and cites his important work as an artist and cultural practitioner before and after the Intifada.

During the Intifada, Mansour was part of the "New Visions" group of Palestinian artists that included Tayseer Barakat, Vera Tamari, and Nabil Anani. This collective turned to earthworks and mixed media and assemblage using materials derived from the Palestinian environment in order to boycott Israeli art supplies in protest of the ongoing occupation. In 1988 he made a series of four paintings on destroyed Palestinian villages, the four villages being Yibna, Yalo, Imwas and Bayt Dajan.

He is a co-author of Both Sides of Peace: Israeli and Palestinian Political Poster Art, published in 1998 by the Contemporary Art Museum with University of Washington Press. More on Sliman 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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