Adel El Siwi at Christie’s Auction | Dubai | 23 October
Adel El Siwi (Egyptian, B. 1952)
The Prince of Amar El Zaman | Mixed Media on Canvas | 170 x 200 cm | 2011-2012 | Lot #24
‘Amar El Zaman’ is the Arabic name for “the moon of all times” and signifies absolute beauty. There are many different origins to this name and various old stories that mention Amar El Zaman as the most handsome prince of all times. Most of these are mainly derived from the book of tales One Thousand and One Nights. The common trait between all stories is that Amar El Zaman was the son of an old king who did not have children, but at a very late age, God graced him with the most amazing prince, known for ultimate beauty.
As he was born in a night of full moon, the king named him after the perfection of the moon he saw in the landscape of Eastern cool nights. The king taught him of all arts of life, literature & science but the prince had also an inner beauty of the soul; he was admired and loved by everyone.
Amar El Zaman here embodies the Eastern values of sensibility, gentility & kindness and the figure acts as a powerful and virtuous hero.
The present painting reveals harmony and balance between the royal embellished green covering the background and the red vibrant color on the collar on the prince’s shirt. The golden helmet blending with the copper color on his head foreshadows a potential transition, when the prince will become the next crowned king.
The painting conjures up the Oriental heritage, but it primarily seeks a connection to the human dream of a non-existing imaginary person, where gentle power with no brutality exists, power that the human imagination manifests in all the tales of the prince.
For more information on the lot above, click here to view the artwork on the e-catalogue of the auction (pages 96 & 97) on Christie’s website.
Click here to view artworks by the artist at Al Masar Gallery website.
Ahmed Askalany at Christie’s Auction | Dubai | 24 October
Ahmed Askalany (Egyptian, B. 1978)
The Cat | Bronze with black patina | 55 x 70 x 10 cm | 5/8 | 2009 | Lot #194
Ahmed Askalany (b. 1978, Qena, Egypt) has exhibited in many places in Egypt & internationally as part of both solo and group exhibitions. He exhibited his artwork in Al Masar’s previous exhibitions “Contemporary Views II”, “Contemporary Views III” & “Contemporary Views IV“. He exhibited his work in the 11th Cairo International Biennale; he also took part in the 5th Miniature Exhibition at the Cairo Opera House. In 2000, he exhibited in the 12th Youth Salon, Cairo Opera House. In 2001 he exhibited in Cairo Modern Art, Circus Theatre, and The Hague, Netherlands. Askalnay lives and works in Cairo.
For more information on the lot above, click here to view the artwork on the e-catalogue of the auction (page 166) on Christie’s website.
Click here to view artworks by the artist at Al Masar Gallery website.