Art4Sight auction to raise funds for visually impaired

Manal Al Dowayan. The Small Desk (2017) from the collection titled: And I, Will I Forget? وانا هل انسى. Etching on Paper (Etching Print, Ink on Paper). 39 cm x 28 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Christie's — Manal Al Dowayan. *The Small Desk (2017) from the collection titled:* And I, Will I Forget? وانا هل انسى. Etching on Paper (Etching Print, Ink on Paper). 39 cm x 28 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Christie's

Prominent artists from across the Middle East and North Africa region have donated art for the 2017 Art4Sight auction. Due to take place on October 11, the auction, in collaboration with Christie’s, will raise funds for the blind and those with visual impairment in the UAE, through the Dubai Noor Foundation.

An etching titled The Small Desk by Manal Al Dowayan, a multimedia artist from Saudi Arabia who has a huge following, is one of the highlights. “This is one of my favourite charities that I have supported for many, many years,” the artist wrote on her Facebook feed. “Buy great art and know that your money will go towards healing the sight-impaired.”

Also on offer is a painting by eL Seed from his Perception series. Perception was a mural that he painted over 50 buildings in the Manshiyat Nasr district of Cairo and raised awareness about the people living there. Sheikha Lateefa Bint Maktoum has donated an archival print from her series that she made after the birth of her son. Dramatic and with theatrical tension, the frame explores the transition she made to motherhood. There is also a beautiful piece made from fabric on wood by Iranian artist Afshan Daneshvar.

Sheikha Lateefa Bint Maktoum. Transition (2017). Archival print. 121cm x 151 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Christie's — Sheikha Lateefa Bint Maktoum. *Transition (2017).* Archival print. 121cm x 151 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Christie's

As part of the regular event, all proceeds will go to Noor Dubai who are working specifically with Emirati children affected by blindness, the number of which is still not officially recorded. James Lees, Associate Vice President of Christie's in New York will be conducting the auction. “It gives me great pleasure to be involved in such a worthwhile cause,” he said. “These auctions have been very well received in the past and I hope this time will be no different. Many of us take the ability to see these wonderful artworks for granted and so to be able to reach out to others through an event like this means a lot.”

Art4Sight 2017, will take place on October 11, 2017 at 6pm at D3 Design District, Dubai. Anyone wishing to bid can register in advance by contacting: contact@noordubai.ae or (+971) 4 219 7180. Registration at the event is also possible