ArtDayMe : Tehran-based Sohrab Gallery will participate in the 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Art with an exclusive presentation of remarkable works by the celebrated Iranian artist Sadegh Tabrizi.

This exhibition at Abu Dhabi Art (UAE) is curated by Mehrdad Fallah and Shahin Torkaman.

The 17th Abu Dhabi Art will be held from 19–23 November in the Saadiyat district of the UAE capital.

As the Middle Eastern art market grows increasingly competitive, Sohrab Gallery, with a discerning and historically significant curatorial decision, will showcase an exceptional selection of masterpieces by the late Sadegh Tabrizi—one of the most influential figures of Iranian modernism and the Saqqakhaneh movement—at the 17th Abu Dhabi Art.

This marks the first major presentation of Tabrizi’s works at a reputable Middle Eastern art fair, reaffirming his position in the orbit of international collectors.

Sadegh Tabrizi — A Resonant Voice from the Heart of Tradition to the Global Avant-Garde

In the history of Iranian art, certain names shine like emblems upon the peaks—and Sadegh Tabrizi is undeniably one of them.

From the 1960s onward, he pioneered a bold synthesis of calligraphy, Iranian motifs, and an abstract modern language, a path that would later define what became known as the “contemporary visual identity of Iran.”

He was not merely a reinterpreter of tradition; he was an architect of a new bridge between Iranian culture and global consciousness.

Tabrizi first drew the attention of serious collectors in 1973, when his works appeared in the first Tehran Auction. Since then—over more than five decades—his works have been consistently presented in nearly 150 leading regional and international auctions, including Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams, and Tehran Auction, receiving enthusiastic support from collectors—an achievement attained only by a handful of major artists of his generation.

The Paris Turning Point — When Tapié Declared: “This Is Noble Art”

Tabrizi’s 1971 exhibition at Cyrus Gallery in Paris became a true springboard:

There, Michel Tapié, the renowned critic and theorist of the Art Informel movement, bestowed rare praise on Tabrizi, calling his works “noble art.”

This acknowledgment not only drew European attention to Iran’s emerging modern art, but also gave Tabrizi the confidence and momentum that positioned him as a central pillar of Iranian modernism.

An Artist Who Was Never Repeated

Sadegh Tabrizi cannot be confined within any single school or frame.

He continuously reinvented himself.

His thoughtful return to miniature painting, mythology, Qajar aesthetics, folk symbolism, and calligraphy—combined with refined technique—earned his work a unique place even within the re-examination of Iranian art history.

From New York to China and Switzerland, his works are held in major museums and collections, each time presenting a renewed narrative of Iran and its era.

Auction Records — Affirming a Major Name

The art market has likewise confirmed Tabrizi’s significance.

Over the past decades, his works have not only been regular highlights at major auctions, but have often exceeded their estimates, contributing to a distinguished record rarely matched by his peers.

Sohrab Gallery in Abu Dhabi — Presenting an Authentic Legacy

At the 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Art, Sohrab Gallery, curated by Mehrdad Fallah and Shahin Torkaman, presents a dedicated selection of Tabrizi’s works—an exhibition that may mark both a renewed pinnacle of global visibility for Tabrizi and a meaningful step toward solidifying the standing of Iranian modernist art within the Middle Eastern market.

This exhibition is not merely the presentation of a single artist’s work; it is the unveiling of the visual legacy of a golden generation—one that learned how to understand the past, transform it, and entrust it to the future.

Today, as Tabrizi’s masterpieces hang on the walls of Abu Dhabi Art, it is more than an exhibition; it is a renewed covenant between heritage and the future.

And perhaps Tabrizi still murmurs, through colors and symbols, with his signature audacity:

“Art is not the repetition of the past; it is its rebirth for a new world.”

Mehrdad Fallah & Shahin Torkaman

The curators of this unique exhibition of Sadegh Tabrizi are two established figures in Iranian art:

Mehrdad Fallah is a distinguished painter whose successful exhibitions in England, Switzerland, Austria, the United States, and numerous auctions have earned him recognition as a leading figure in continuing and reviving aspects of Iranian painting and the Saqqakhaneh school.

The late Sadegh Tabrizi was Fallah’s maternal uncle.

Shahin Torkaman, director of Sohrab Gallery in Tehran, has played a significant role in Iranian modernist and contemporary art over the past two decades and has maintained long-standing collaborations with many acclaimed masters and prominent artistic figures.