Malekis collection at Dreweatts
The London home collection of one of the most important contemporary art collecting families in Europe, the Malekis, will be offered at Dreweatts in London.
Fatima and Eskandar Maleki are renowned for their curatorial eye, knowledge of the art market and patronage of emerging artists, through sponsorship and advisory roles with various institutions.
Their personal collection has been compiled and housed at 28 South Street in London’s Mayfair, which until recently served as a showcase for artists, collectors and curators alike. It will be offered in a special auction titled 28 South Street: The Mayfair Home of Fatima and Eskandar Maleki on September 25, 2024.
World-renowned interior designer Alidad, said: “It is with the upmost fondness that I remember evenings of Persian cuisine where friendships were made amongst the excited buzz of upcoming artists, museum curators and the movers and shakers of the art world. Set in the elegant comfort of her London home, 28 South Street, which mixed the colours, patterns and textures of traditional art and furniture against the backdrop of some of her contemporary art collection, Fatima Maleki placed 28 South Street on the international stage with her unique entertaining style. As the daughter of an ambassador, Fatima brought together varied international guests from all walks of life to enjoy the traditional Persian welcome and warmth of her hospitality.”
Joe Robinson, Head of House Sales and Collections, said: “Dreweatts are delighted to have been entrusted with the London Home collection of Fatima and Eskandar Maleki from 28 South Street. This sale chronicles their collecting journey, evolving from an inherited appreciation for the traditional, to becoming passionate and distinguished patrons of contemporary art.”
Forced to leave Iran during the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the Maleki family had to begin anew. Starting with modest beginnings, they gradually rebuilt their lives. Their passion for collecting naturally expanded into acquiring pieces from around the world, establishing a prominent reputation in the international art market.
The family’s extensive, and in many ways transitional, collection ranges from Old Master Paintings, spanning four centuries of European painting, from the 1580s to the 1890s, to Dutch and German painters of the seventeenth century. Also, from furniture and decorative works, through to Contemporary Art, the latter being a testament to a broadening of the family’s appreciation and determination to ‘collect for their time’. It was on the procurement of the house that the family’s passions turned towards contemporary art, with a firm interest in established British artists such as Anthony Gormley OBE RA (b. 1950), Christopher Ofili, CBE (b. 1968), Damien Hirst (b. 1965), Gilbert (b. 1943) and George (b. 1942), Phyllida Barlow (1944-2023), Sarah Lucas (b. 1962) and Barry Flanagan (1941-2009).