The Ones To Watch: 5 Creatives From The Region Who Are Shaping The Future Of Art
Meagan Kelly Horsman, Managing Director of Christie’s Middle East, highlights five artists from the region and its diaspora who could help shape the future of art
Dana Awartani
Palestinian-Saudi Dana Awartani has become one to watch from the region. Utilising unusual materials such as wood, glass and metal, as well as more traditional media, the former Bazaar Saudi cover star takes inspiration from Arab culture in a contemporary manner. Her work titled, Icosahedron Within a Dodecahedron, 2016, recently went for $35,280 at Christie’s Middle Eastern art auction in Dubai, a record for the artist.
Refik Anadol
Los Angeles-based Refik Anadol is quickly becoming synonymous internationally with artists working within the tech space. He recently made an appearance at Art Dubai, with a commission for the Julius Baer lounge, and he spoke at the first-ever regional Christie’s Art+Tech Summit where he demonstrated how to create a digital piece on the spot. You can visit his large-scale work at MoMA, NYC, titled Unsupervised.
Mohammed Kazem
Well-known within the region and beyond, Mohammed has expanded his practice to utilise multimedia. His 2013 video installation at the Venice Biennale was an early exploration of new technology for an artist from the UAE, and his pioneering mentality is reflected in his evolving artistic practice.
Mike Winklemann
Known professionally as Beeple, Mike isn’t from the Middle East, but it is impossible to speak about the future of art without mentioning him. His work, Everydays: The First 5000 Days, smashed records on March 11, 2021 when it sold at Christie’s New York for $69,346,250. A visionary artist, Beeple has been at the forefront of digital art, creating the above-mentioned work over 13-and-a-half years, posting a DANA AWARTANI daily picture online.
Jason Seife
Also seen at Art Dubai 2023 was the work of Jason Seife, a multimedia artist of Cuban-Syrian heritage. His work takes imagery from the Arab World, such as carpets, embroidery, and manuscripts; and comes in both digital as well as physical form.
Photos by Christie’s Images 2023- By Kind Permission of Christie’s
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia: The Future