Michael Jeha reflects on the progress of fine art in Middle East

Christie’s Auction House is a name that has always championed the sale of the finest art and the most extraordinary jewelry for over 200 years. It has made a name for itself in collecting historic pieces of art, jewelry of kings, queens and historical figures and priceless artifacts from dynasties that once ruled the lands. The repertoire at Christie’s has kept its name on the top of the list of auction houses worldwide and the selected caretakers are ones that are reputable, their unparalleled expertise, keen eyes and knowledge that keeps with Christie’s fine tradition. Christie’s auctions have held some of the most grand and glamorous of pieces ever have been found, with over 50 global offices worldwide as well as 12 showrooms to cater to every buyer’s interests. One of its most recent offices opened in Dubai in 2005, with one of its finest directors, Michael Jeha, managing director of Christie’s Middle East, proved eventful and profitable since its venture into the MENA.
Michael Jeha, a Lebanese born and raised in London, found passion and comfort in art after venturing into it through a journey of discovery away from the finance and investment world. A graduate of City University Business School in London, he soon grew more interested in something other than the financial world. After a number of art courses, he landed a job at Christie’s where this new venture took him further away from the finance world into a world of fine art and allure. In 2005, he became the Managing Director of Christie’s Dubai chapter which has helped expand Christie’s growth.
Arab News interviewed Michael Jeha and received fascinating input on the art scene of the Middle East.

You’re a graduate of City University Business School in London and interned in JP Morgan yet your career path landed you at the famous Christie’s Auction House. How did this come by?
After graduation and my internship, I found myself not really interested in the finance world. I majored in finance, insurance and investment but wanted to change directions, so I searched for a while until I landed in Sotheby’s Institute where I took art courses. Six months later I received a diploma in fine art and decorative art and applied for an internship at Christie’s. I interned in each department for a year and my fascination grew and I knew then that this is what I wanted to get involved with, my love and appreciation for art grew then and there. In 1999, I’ve landed a job at one of the departments at Christie’s and my career took off from there.

Looking at it now, your degree in finance, insurance and investment has benefited you greatly now that you’re the managing director at Christie’s Dubai, how do you feel now that your passion and degree are fused?
That’s a good question actually, I graduated in my early 20’s and at the time the world of finance wasn’t very appealing, I wanted something different. So I ventured into the art world and art market not knowing what to fully expect but it was a great and interesting move at the time. It’s furthered me greatly now, I grew early on a strong passion for doing what I do now, I found the combination very helpful in aiding with the knowledge I have for both the financial/investment world and art world.

The art and jewelry scene in London is surely different than Dubai in various aspects. After years of working at Christie’s London and gaining a lot of experience from your time there, how has the transition been for you moving from London to Dubai?
On the personal perspective, I found the transition easy since I’m originally Lebanese, so I already have exposure to the Middle East. I’ve traveled throughout the region extensively and have visited Dubai many times before so I already had an idea of what was to come. It was very straight forward and easy for me. On the work related perspective, there was a challenge for me with the fact that it was an opportunity for me to build a market straight up for Christie’s. In London, New York and Geneva for example, you need a long standing market already in place, whereas in Dubai you can help grow and establish a market up to the shape and standard of your liking; that was the biggest difference of all but at the same time very exciting.

The art scene in the Gulf region is pretty new unlike how it is in Lebanon, Egypt and Iran where you’ve traveled extensively and explored. Since opening Christie’s Dubai, have you seen the art scene in the area progress and evolve?
The level and enthusiasm for art in the UAE and across the Gulf has definitely increased tremendously. When first opened, there weren’t many art galleries in Dubai for example, there are now over 50 galleries and exhibitions are opening on a weekly basis and the awareness level has grown. There is also a growing scene in Abu Dhabi, museums are taking shape like the Louvre and Guggenheim will be opening in the next few years, in Qatar there are museums opening up and a strong emphasis in art education as well. The awareness in Saudi Arabia is really starting to take off; we’re seeing more and more galleries opening in particular in the last three years, there are more contemporary artists emerging. There is absolutely no doubt the interest and appreciation for art is evident in the area and here at Christie’s we’re looking forward to getting to know more artists of the area and be able to feature their works.
Ten years is a very short time since establishing a market, we are very satisfied with the results as of now but let’s see how it goes in the next 10 years.

Christie’s auctions have featured a number of Saudi artists such as Reem Al-Faisal, Ayman Deban and Ahmad Mater Asiri, which has resulted in high sales at the time of their auctioning. Do you believe that your participation in the Jewelry Salon as a starting point would help more Saudi artists to come forward and produce pieces worthy of auction?
I believe there could certainly be a correlation between Christie’s participation and other agencies for example and the awareness that they can create that will help artists to go forward and create magnificent pieces. The more art initiatives throughout Saudi Arabia and the Gulf area, the more it will increase the appetite for art. That is why Christie’s is very keen to undertake more art education seminars, their interest in art will peak and result in more activities which will entice art collectors and creators to engage in such activities and events. All these will encourage Saudi artists to partake and engage in learning new mediums, methods, styles, techniques and help in self-development as well.

Since opening in 2005, a large collection of art pieces and magnificent jewelry from the Arab world was displayed at Christie’s and put up for auction. Do you believe that the collection will increase in the upcoming years?
In the past 10 years, we’ve been very happy with the sales at the Dubai auction. We’ve sold over $400 million worth of art, jewelry and watches in Dubai, so we’re definitely seeing an increase in sales and the way things are progressing, more importantly we’re seeing an increase in Arab clients participating globally, we’re seeing a large participation from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Lebanon and elsewhere around the region. A statistic shows that for every 1$ spent in the Dubai branch, 15$ is spent on a global scale from clients in the region.

One very significant and rare auction in Christie’s Dubai is the sales of watches, why is that more significant?
There are many reasons, but the significance is that watch collectors from the UAE and the region flog to this location because it’s closer and easier. There is a love for rare and beautiful watches amongst collectors in the area and the watch market is performing extremely well, they have a strong appetite for it and it’s highlighted by the fact that the last auction in March had a 100 percent sale. All 185 lots were sold which is an incredible achievement, something very rare in the auction world; it shows how strong the love for watches is in the Gulf area.
Their participation paves the way for them to be able to participate internationally; it’s a stepping stone to begin their auctioning experience. Dubai is a very effective entry point.

This year’s Jewelry Salon in Saudi Arabia will see Christie’s participating for the first time. How has your initial impression of the fair been and what do you hope for in future participation?
We’re very happy to be a part of the jewelry fair and in doing so it’s almost like a soft entry into Saudi Arabia. In doing so we’re looking forward to more participation in the next few years. It will also grant us a greater participation in activities such as seminars and more events and exhibitions.

On an ending point, as a person who has an appreciation for the art world and a keen eye for fine art, what advice would you give to future art collectors and artists?
First of all I would advise them to see as much art pieces as they can, visit exhibitions and shows and expose themselves to the art scene more. You say I have a good eye for art, that is due to my exposure to it on a daily basis, it helps those who are interested to check out local art galleries, museums and exhibitions. The more they are exposed, the more they’ll understand it. Second, get as much advice as you can to make an informed decision, one should always do their homework so to speak before buying a piece of art, they can do their research and they can even speak to employees of the auctions like we do at Christie’s to get more information for example. Last and more important, we at Christie’s tell our buyers they should go ahead and purchase a piece because they like it, buying something they like always turns out to be the best investment.
Christie’s Dubai has shown great success in the number of buyers and participants since its opening in 2005. It’s evident that the level of appreciation for art has grown and Christie’s auctions help aid in the understanding of local and international art and jewelry alike.

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