Zohreh Mehraban: The Middle East Art Market Needs Professional Market Makers
Founder and Director of MAAD Gallery: From the Historical Experience of the Global Art Market to the Need to Build a Sustainable Ecosystem in the Middle East
Founder and Director of MAAD Gallery: From the Historical Experience of the Global Art Market to the Need to Build a Sustainable Ecosystem in the Middle East
Founder and Director of Maad Gallery: “Twenty percent of wealth—that is the share that high-net-worth individuals allocated to art in 2025, according to a global study. But the story is not only about money; behind this figure is a generation of collectors seeking to discover artists, build collections, establish their own signatures and names, and shape their aesthetic identity and cultural legacy.”
Zohreh Mehraban said: “We must be able to present our artists to international standards, translate local narratives into a global language, and demonstrate that art from the region is not a ‘special subject’ for a global audience, but part of the contemporary conversation of world art.”
Zohreh Mehraban, Founder and Director of Maad Gallery: The presence of global brands is an opportunity for galleries in the region, but it is also a responsibility. We must be able to present our artists to international standards, translate local narratives into a global language, and demonstrate that art from the region is not a “special subject” for a global audience, but part of the contemporary conversation of world art.
Watch Kimia Nakhaei, ArtDayMe's correspondent, reporting from MAAD Gallery, which transformed Bagh-e 13 Chenar in Tehran's Darakeh district into the setting for a sculpture and installation exhibition curated by Zohreh Mehraban, Founder and Director of MAAD Gallery.
The founder and director of MAAD Gallery believes that, from New York and London to Dubai, Doha, Jeddah, Beirut, Abu Dhabi, and Tehran, art is no longer merely a cultural icon—it has become an investment asset.
MAAD Gallery is presenting Unto Human, a group exhibition featuring 35 sculptures and installations, on view through Friday, 31 July 2026, at Bagh-e Sizdah Chenar in Tehran.
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