Celebrity art auction in Dubai raises nearly $10m for Ramadan meals campaign

Buyers bid for works by Picasso and Nelson Mandela among others

Rory Reynolds
Georgia Tolley
Apr 25, 2021
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Nearly $10 million (Dh36.6m) was pledged to the UAE's 100 million meals campaign at an auction in Dubai on Saturday night.

Rare artworks by Nelson Mandela, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró and David Hockney were up for bidding.

Three donated works by record-breaking artist Sacha Jafri were also listed.

Among the works that attracted the highest bids was a rare piece of Kiswa, the cloth used to cover the Kaaba in Makkah, embroidered in gold and silver, donated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

The cloth sold for $2.7 million to an anonymous phone bidder.

A colourful canvas by British artist Sacha Jafri sold for $4.2 million, also to an anonymous bidder by phone.

Last month, a huge canvas the size of a ballroom that was painted by Jafri went for a record-breaking $62 million. The clothes he wore while painting the artwork sold for $450,000.

Several of Jafri's works featured the painted hand prints of celebrities, and tennis player Boris Becker, boxer Amir Khan and Majorie Harvey, the wife of Steve Harvey, the US TV presenter added their marks on the night.

Hollywood star Will Smith, who was expected to attend, sent a recorded message apologising for his absence, which was due to an unexpected illness brought on by extreme dieting for an acting role.

Attending the auction were Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson for Dubai Culture, Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Digital Economy, AI and Remote Working Systems and Florian Picasso, the great grandson of the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.

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Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith. AP
Will Smith to auction hand prints for the UAE's 100 Million Meals campaign

Mona Kattan, the sister of beauty mogul Huda, bought two pieces for more than $100,000 each.

Funds raised will go towards providing food aid for people in need across 30 countries.

Sheikh Mohammed unveiled plans for a Ramadan campaign to supply 100 million meals to people in 30 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Thanks to the generosity of the public, businesses, government departments and philanthropists, the 100 million target was hit within just 10 days on Thursday.

But the drive continues to ensure people in many countries battered by the pandemic do not go hungry.

100 Million Meals campaign - in pictures 

Food distribution has already begun in Jordan, Pakistan and Egypt as part of the ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign that aims to support disadvantaged communities across 20 countries during the holy month of Ramadan. WAM

The UAE has funded more than 100 million free meals in 20 countries across the region during Ramadan. Pictured are youngsters in Egypt. All photos by Wam

Ramadan 2024UAE
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