British art collectors Fatima and Eskandar Maleki are set to auction their renowned personal art collection, currently displayed at their residence on 28 South Street, Mayfair. This highly anticipated sale, organized by Dreweatts auctioneers, will take place on September 25.
The auction, titled “28 South Street: The Mayfair Home of Fatima and Eskandar Maleki,” will feature a diverse array of art, including Old Master paintings spanning four centuries of European art, alongside Dutch and German works from the 17th century. Additionally, the sale will present furniture and contemporary art pieces.
Joe Robinson, head of house sales and collections at Dreweatts, expressed excitement about the auction, stating, “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.”
The Malekis, originally from affluent Iranian families with a history of art collection, were compelled to leave their homeland in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution. After relocating first to Oregon and then to London, they began anew, building their collection from traditional pieces to contemporary art and establishing a significant presence in the international art market.
Among the notable works up for auction is “The Wise and Foolish Virgins,” an oil painting by Flemish artist Maarten de Vos, valued between £15,000 and £25,000. Another highlight includes oil portraits by Dutch artist Nicholas Maes, estimated at £12,000 to £18,000.
In the furniture category, two sets of 14 carved giltwood and upholstered 19th-century chairs, formerly part of the Wernher Family collection at Luton Hoo, are expected to fetch between £8,000 and £12,000.
Fatima Maleki shared the emotional aspect of the sale in a Dreweatts short film: “It’s very difficult, you know, when we’re choosing what to sell, because every one of them has a story behind them,” she says. “Especially since we were buying them at a time when we put all of our money into one piece and really researched it, looked at it, lived with it for a while, going back and forth. And so every piece was special for us in that house.”
Contemporary highlights include Olafur Eliasson’s “Square Sphere,” estimated between £50,000 and £80,000, and Friedrich Kunath’s “All the Sleeves are Brown and the Tie is Grey California Dreaming,” valued at £15,000 to £20,000. The auction will also feature works by contemporary artists such as Michael Wilkinson, Jacob Kassay, and Jim Lambie.