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The art of being an Arab
Art dealers are tipping the work of a number of Arab artists as hot investments for the future. Al Shindagah took a look at the UAE’s burgeoning art scene and found that a good buy could lead to big profits.
Asked to think of a great painter most people would choose someone such
as Picasso, Van Gogh, Turner, or maybe El Greco, Rubens, Goya or even
Hockney. The list is endless.
He is convinced that the age of Arab art is here, or if not quite here,
it’s lurking just around the corner. In the United Arab Emirates in
general and in Dubai in particular there are a number of emerging
artists who Dr Dishman says will be highly sought after in a few year’s
time.
His message is a simple one - buy now and watch your investment grow to
perhaps ten times its original value in as many years. And what’s even
more relevant is that many of the up and coming Arab artists are selling
their paintings for reasonable prices.
And Dr Dishman should know as he is a well respected figure in UAE art
circles. Besides painting he also creates large impressive sculptures
and teaches art and film studies at Dubai’s Centre for American
Education. He knows intimately all the major figures on the UAE art
scene, has bought many of their works and keeps in contact with many
other artists from the wider Arab world.
He has exhibited all over the world including the Museum of Art in
Hawaii, in galleries in South America, the USA and throughout Europe. He
has also lectured on contemporary art at the Museum of Modern Arts in
New York, the Tate Gallery in London, the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France
and at the National Gallery in London.
When Dr Dishman received the coveted Fulbright Scholarship from the
United States government he was received at St James’ Palace by Princess
Margaret as recognition of his accomplishments in the field of Art
Education.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Pyschotherapy, a Master of Fine Arts
degree, Master of Art Education, and has taught in universities and
colleges in the United States, England, Italy and the UAE.
Although based in Dubai Dr Dishman travels widely and he keeps track of
art prices around the world: “ In one major auction house last year they
sold Dh 56 million worth of Arab art. If just one auction house can
sell that much just think what the rest of the world is doing. And just
think the business they will be doing in 10 years time.
“ To me that shows that the outside world is investing in the best of
Islamic art. Now is the time to start investing in Arabic art.
“ Many of the new buyers are themselves Arabs and they are taking a
great interest in their own history and culture. With their power they
have the ability to change the course of the art scene.”
Dr Dishman is passionate and articulate about his many and varied
interests. One of those passions is working to bring east and west
together - not in any political or religious sense - just in the world
of the arts.
He believes ardently in the depth and strength of Arab art which he has
been assiduously collecting during the five years he has lived in Dubai.
“The reason I began collecting Abdul Qader Al Rais’s work is because I
wanted something when I left this country that would increase in value.
I have always owned my own home wherever I have lived but because of
the laws here I can’t. So I needed something that could grow and art is
a great investment if you do your homework.”
As a teaching professor and practising sculptor art is obviously a cause
close to his heart and he has lobbied and lectured in favour of Arab
artists in Dubai, the United States and Europe, and especially in the UK
where there is a burgeoning market for good Arab art.
Dr Dishman wants to boost the image of Arabic art both here in Dubai and
throughout the world. He is convinced that one of the ways of doing that
is exposing UAE artists to many different cultures in order to broaden
their horizons.
Each year he takes budding Arab artists and students to the summer
school at the world famous Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland where
they soak up the many and varied strands of western art and meet
artists. Any courses the students take at the Edinburgh College can be
credited to their American degrees.
Dr Dishman also teaches at the College during the summer and is hoping
soon to arrange exchanges of both staff and students between Scotland
and Dubai.
According to Dr Dishman the three top UAE artists are Abdul Qader Al
Rais, Abdul Raheem Salem and Moosa Al Halyan and another artist to watch
out for in the future is Abdul Qader Al Rais’s daughter who seems to
have inherited her father’s stunning skill with watercolours.
“Here in the Middle East and especially in the UAE artists are fortunate
to have good support from the rulers. The Ruling families have bought
many pieces from these artists and now the man in the street is
beginning to buy as well, which means that their works will rise in
value because they are desired by so many people. “When I first arrived
in Dubai I kept hearing three names - Abdul Qader Al Rais, Abdul Raheem
Salem and Moosa Al Halyan.
“Then I started to notice their works in public and government buildings
and in galleries and shops. Sometimes I would be in a friend’s villa and
see a print by Abdul Qader. I realised Qader had quite a few editions of
five hundred prints that had sold out. In a situation like that you
can’t go wrong.
“Any artist who has sold the number of prints he has can do nothing but
go up in value. I remember buying an Andy Warhol print back in the
sixties for less than five thousand dollars that is now worth over a
quarter of a million dollars - unfortunately I don’t own it any more!
“But the reality is if you know one artist who sells a lot of prints of
his original then his work will be a safe investment. It’s possible to
pick up an Abdul Qader print for around Dh 700. The painting from which
the print is made will be worth maybe forty to a hundred times the value
of the print.
“When I buy his paintings it is because I love his work but I also know
I have one of the best investments I could buy anywhere in the world. I
have 12 pieces by him that could buy me a house when I leave the
country.
“Abdul Raheem Salem is another artist whose work gives me great joy. I
have six pieces by him. He works in pastels which makes his prices less
than those who work in paints. His prices are within reach of most of
us. It is possible to pick up his work for between Dhs2,000 to Dhs4,000
although he can sell for up to Dhs20,000. His work will definitely grow
as an investment
“Moosa Al Halyan is young at only 29, but he is already in the top three
in my personal investment plan. His work over the last four years has
grown to a very mature level. His works sell for Dhs5,000 upwards and it
will always increase. I have only a couple of pieces by him as he so
young but I plan to buy more as he is too good not to invest in.”
The Artists
Abdul Qader Al Rais began painting as a small boy but even in his
wildest dreams he never thought he would become an artist. But now, at
the age of 46, he is successful enough to paint full-time and many of
his larger works sell for thousands of dirhams.
Al Rais used to watch his uncle, who was a teacher, when he was drawing,
but he remains a self-taught artist. He began by painting pictures of
cartoon characters which were popular with children at the time before
progressing to small landscapes and latterly abstracts.
While working as a legal advisor to the Labour Ministry 46 year-old Al
Rais carried on developing his talent for painting and also exhibited in
numerous small exhibitions.
Although he stopped painting for a while he took up the brushes again
and never looked back. Now he simply says: “ Art is in my blood.” And
thankfully many people, including the Ruling families in the UAE, and
collectors in the Middle East and abroad appreciate his natural talent.
He has exhibited his strikingly coloured realistic and abstract works in
places as far afield as Casablanca, the Czech Republic, Beirut and
Washington DC and last year he held a successful exhibition in Germany
with German artist Fred Falk.
Highly rated artist Abdul Raheem Salem, 42, painted a remarkable series
of paintings after he became obsessed with a story about a beautiful
lady who lived in the neighbouring emirate of Sharjah:
“ She was very pretty. A man wanted to date her but she refused and
black magic was used against her. “ She became mad and was burned alive
in a fire. This affected me deeply and I started to make a series of
paintings revolving around this woman.”
In his first exhibition he created a series of figurative drawings and
put this tragic woman on a pedestal and later started to abstract the
features of her face.
Married with five children, Salem began drawing as a child at school
with his grandmother acting as his critic and his teachers, recognising
his talent, pushed him towards art. He also taught art in schools for
three years.
Salem obtained his BA in Fine Arts from Cairo University and has
exhibited in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, India, Syria
and Spain.
At 29 Moosa Sultan Al Halyan is a giant of a man but, artisticly
speaking, he’s the baby of the group. He began to draw at an early age
and was later tutored by Abdul Al Raheem Salem.
He started off with charcoal, pen and ink drawings, progressing later to
painting and figurative interpretation once he felt he had mastered the
basics.
Just 10 years ago he staged his first joint exhibition and later he
designed a special commemorative stamp and coin to celebrate the
Ascendancy of the Emirates.
He was pleased and proud that 250,000 stamps were printed and the same
number of coins minted which have now become collector’s pieces. He also
designed the UAE’s mascot for the World Cup held in Italy in 1990.
Al Halyan is single and works for the Dubai Land Department and paints
whenever he has the time.
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Any of the above and maybe a few hundred more could justify their
greatness and every last one of them come from the west. And most of
those buying art for investment purposes still turn to western artists.
But the times are a-changing to quote another great artiste - at least
if American sculptor Professor John Dishman is to be believed.
“ I have several pieces by Abdul Qader Al Rais and he’s now become a
great friend of mine. I also have works by Abdul Raheem Salem and Moosa
Al Halyan, plus many more pieces by Arab artists from all over the
Middle East.
As Dr Dishman said: “ These Arab artists are all UAE nationals and they
are some of the best known painters in the Arab world. They are
certainly the best in the UAE and I would advise anyone to invest in
their work.