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Taymour Grahne’s Trajectory Shows How A New Generation Of Dealers Is Thinking Globally

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Taymour Grahne Projects, featuring a modern metal-framed glass entrance door set into a light blue corrugated façade with the galleryâs name displayed above." width="970" height="647" data-caption='Taymour Grahne Projects opened in Dubai at Alserkal Avenue in September. <span class="lazyload media-credit">Courtesy of Taymour Grahne Projects</span>'>

The trajectory of Lebanese-Finnish gallerist Taymour Grahne offers a compelling lens into how a new generation of art dealers is navigating a fast-changing global industry—prioritizing adaptability, mobility and relationships over traditional gallery models. Grahne’s distinct diasporic sensibility has shaped both his curatorial approach and business structure: from founding his gallery in New York in 2013, to adopting nomadic and pop-up formats in London, to his new chapter in Dubai, he has consistently shifted formats based on circumstance rather than tethering himself to one model. What he has prioritized throughout this cross-border evolution is clear—sustained, personal relationships that span geographies.

“For me, the gallery is very autobiographical,” Grahne tells Observer just after the opening of his new space in Dubai on Alserkal Avenue. “It’s not about a place, it’s about my relationships: the artists I work with and the clients I work with,” he added, explaining that while some gallerists might maintain their original space after relocating, he feels a responsibility to remain physically present. Since the gallery carries his name, he’s never wanted outposts scattered across the globe.

Grahne sees the gallery’s identity as fixed since 2013—it has simply taken different forms, from thematic shows to pop-ups to fixed spaces. His artist roster, while it has expanded over time, continues to reflect a balance between the Middle East and the international. “My program has stayed consistent no matter where I’ve been. I haven’t adjusted it to fit a city; it’s always been a hybrid,” Grahne reflects, tying this approach to his personal path: born and raised in London, spending part of his youth in New York, and returning to Beirut for middle and high school in formative years that grounded his connection to the region. “That balance isn’t something I deliberately aim for—it just reflects who I am.”

Because the gallery is autobiographical, it has always mirrored where Grahne is in his life and how he moves through the world. His relocation from New York to London was driven by a desire to be closer to Europe and the Middle East. “In New York, I spent four years building strong relationships and leaving an imprint; in London, I spent seven years doing the same. Now in Dubai, it’s similar.” He emphasizes that the moves were never part of a calculated strategy—each city simply marked a chapter defined by relationships and impact.

Many of the artists Grahne will show in Dubai are ones he first encountered and exhibited during his New York years a decade ago, and many of his collectors still date back to that period. “Being a gallerist is about your eye, your relationships, and how you can build careers and markets for artists. That has been the constant.” In this way, Grahne is emblematic of a generation that embraces global flexibility. “If a lease ends and the right space isn’t available, we don’t feel pressure to rush into something permanent. We’re fine being nomadic. That adaptability is key.”

Once again, the move to Dubai blended personal roots with business logic. “My family and friends are here, and I wanted to be closer to the region,” he admits. At the same time, it made strategic sense: he has long shown artists from the Middle East, participated in fairs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and cultivated relationships in the region. “Dubai today is the gallery center of the region—while Abu Dhabi and Qatar have strong institutions, Dubai has the gallery ecosystem,” he explains. It’s an exciting base for the artists he represents, whether from the region or beyond. “Many are eager to engage with the Middle East, to visit and build their markets here.”

A champion of MENA talent

Even in New York, Grahne championed artists from the Middle East, introducing Emirati voices to international audiences. Among them was Hamad Kazim, who represented the UAE at the Venice Biennale in 2013 and, though already mid-career, had one of his first major New York solo exhibitions at Grahne’s space. He also worked with the late Tarek Al-Ghoussein, the celebrated Abu Dhabi–based artist and professor at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Now based in the region, Grahne is engaging more closely with a younger generation of Middle Eastern artists, particularly in the UAE. “There’s so much talent here,” he confirms. At Abu Dhabi Art this November, he will present Rubeck Mazrui, a young Abu Dhabi-based painter whose work explores Emirati family life, architecture, the natural landscape, and the tactile rhythms of everyday experience. Mazrui will also be part of a group show that Grahne is curating on young Gulf region female painters. “Many of them studied abroad and have recently returned, and they’re using painting to explore their societies, family structures, domestic spaces, architecture, and urbanism. A lot of them are friends, too—there’s a real network forming,” he says.

This show aims to map and document this growing community of emerging painters in the UAE. Grahne has noticed a generational shift: the earlier wave of artists—figures like Hassan Sharif and those who followed his lead—were largely conceptual, often working in photography or installation. The younger generation, by contrast, marks a strong return to painting. “Alongside photographers and conceptual artists, painting is really making a comeback here, which is exciting to see,” he says. Common themes for this new cohort include the country’s rapid modernization, heritage, identity and family dynamics—with many artists revisiting local customs and landscapes as part of their inquiry.

Grahne also sees progress in art education across the region, pointing to promising recent graduates from NYU Abu Dhabi and a growing infrastructure of residencies, studio programs and visiting faculty. While many young GCC artists continue to study in London or New York, their return has created a dynamic exchange—bringing new ideas to Western audiences while enriching the Gulf’s cultural scene with fresh perspectives. This circulation, he believes, is making the region’s art ecosystem more vibrant and interconnected than ever.

A new generation of artists, collectors, and curators is strengthening the cultural ecosystem across the UAE. “There’s definitely a strong community here,” Grahne confirms. “You have a young artist community, but also young collectors and curators—people working at places like Sharjah Art Foundation, the Guggenheim, the Louvre and the Jameel Arts Centre. It’s a new generation across the board, and it’s energizing.”

Even while based in London, Grahne often relied on collectors from the Middle East, the U.S. and Europe. In Dubai, however, his inaugural show—a solo exhibition by American painter Gail Spaien—has already sold out almost entirely to local collectors.

Grahne also challenges the stereotype that collectors in the region are only interested in blue-chip names. “I’ve always had great clients from this region who were willing to buy emerging artists or historically overlooked names—not just blue chip. So I knew there was always an appetite here,” he says. “Even when I was in New York and later in London, about a third of my clients were from this region, and they consistently showed a hunger for discovery.”

Over the years, he has developed long-standing relationships with these collectors and watched their journeys unfold. “Many of them are seasoned collectors, some from established collecting families. Others are my generation,” he notes. When he started the gallery in his early twenties, many of his first clients were also in their twenties—and they’ve grown together. At the same time, he’s worked with collectors in their sixties and seventies who were already highly established. One common thread he’s observed is that many collectors look across both Middle Eastern and international artists. “Of course, you have collectors who focus only on one or the other, but a lot of crossover collectors, too,” he says, noting how this dual perspective mirrors his program, which bridges the MENA region and the global art scene.

For Grahne, one of the region’s defining strengths is that it doesn’t need outside validation: “It already has such a strong local collector base, institutions, biennials, museums, nonprofits—it’s culturally rich on its own, and not reliant on anywhere else. That’s quite special.”

Grahne highlights the distinct roles each city plays in the UAE: Dubai serves as the market hub, Sharjah anchors the biennial and foundation landscape and Abu Dhabi functions as the state and institutional capital. Together, they form a cohesive cultural ecosystem—interconnected and within easy reach. “It’s a self-sustaining ecosystem. People are coming because there’s genuine interest—it’s become a hub.” Geographically, the region sits between East and West, positioning it as a natural crossroads. “There’s so much happening; it doesn’t feel temporary or like a passing phase. This is a region that has risen, that’s still rising and that’s making bold, incredible decisions. It’s becoming a true powerhouse.”

Dubai also benefits from a handful of established galleries—like The Third Line and Lawrie Shabibi—that have been active for more than a decade and helped lay the groundwork for the current scene. “Honestly, I wouldn’t say anything is missing now—you’ve got everything from institutions to biennials to artists to collectors. There’s been a real, concerted effort to build the ecosystem,” Grahne says.

What’s equally notable, he adds, is the absence of the mega-galleries that dominate cities like New York or London. Aside from Perrotin’s space in Dubai, the region has largely avoided the gravitational pull of global giants. He sees this as a strength: many artists have remained loyal to the galleries that supported them early on, even as they’ve gained international representation, and that loyalty has let the ecosystem grow in a more grounded, organic way.

Still, he eventually noticed one gap: very few galleries in the UAE are run by people of his generation. “That’s what felt absent. Most of the dealers here are one or two generations older, and that’s one of the reasons I decided to open,” he says. Since launching his space, he’s already seen enthusiasm from peers and younger professionals—many of whom, like him, are poised to shape the region’s rapidly evolving art scene.

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