Contemporary artist Sacha Jafri takes pride in his unique approach to creating artwork, which is reflected in his extensive Dubai studio equipped with three galleries, a digital space, an office and a room dedicated solely to non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The spacious area houses around 40 paintings, primarily consisting of Jafri’s retrospective collection as well as exclusive pieces commissioned by clients. He values this set up since it enables him to foster strong relationships with his buyers from all over the world without being tied down to galleries. In addition to his Dubai studio, he also owns a gallery space in London for European and American patrons.
Jafri’s artistic style is characterized by magical realism, which draws its inspiration primarily from music played during lengthy sessions lasting multiple hours when Jafri gets into the right headspace while painting in a meditative state. He explains that this process allows him to create narratives without any prior understanding of what he’s doing as it happens subconsciously.
In 2020, Jafri created “Journey of Humanity,” an artwork covering a vast area of more than 16,387 square feet that went on sale for children’s charities at auction in the same year. The painting was eventually purchased by entrepreneur Andre Abdoune for $62 million in 2021, making Jafri one of the most expensive living artists globally as a record had been beaten shortly thereafter (in September this year).
Jafri’s approach to selling his work is selective. He claims that he turns down around ninety-nine percent of those interested in purchasing from him, asserting that “These are fragments of my soul.” For Jafri, art represents a part of himself and as such, it must be treated with care by its new owners.
Jafri creates approximately twelve paintings over the course of two years while maintaining around 150 people on his waiting list to buy. He emphasizes that he intends to continue painting until the end of his days, ensuring a gradual rise in value for his art each year. In addition, buyers who missed out may be given priority access when Jafri releases new collections as it maintains demand while preserving its rarity value through restricted supply and elevated buyer interest levels.
Jafri also believes that AI should not replace the role of artists in creating true works of art since “AI is very, very helpful … but [it]’s not a tool to help artists in any shape or form.” Accordingly, he maintains that genuine artistic expression must stem from love and empathy.
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