Mohammed Ghani Hikmet, the famous Iraqi Sculptor

Imagine yourself in Iraq or in the Middle East during the 1940s or ‘50s, or even earlier. There is peace. There is prosperity. Hustle and bustle. You go into a tea house to rest from the heat, to meet friends or just to smoke a narghile, a water pipe, or perhaps play a game of backgammon, to enjoy with your tea and relax.
This is what this sculpture, or Lowhah in Arabic, evokes. And indeed, that is how it was conceived





See:

http://www.mghanisculpture.com/

Mohammed Ghani Hikmet Biography

1929
Born in Baghdad on April 20th

1953
Graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts, Sculpture Department, Baghdad, Iraq

1954
Lecturer, Institute of Fine Arts, Sculpture Dept. Baghdad, Iraq

1956
Studied in Latizka Institute of metals, Rome, Italy

1958
Academy of Fine Arts, Sculpture Dept. Rome, Italy

1959
Appreciation Prize, Mayor of Rome, Rome, Italy
Appreciation Prize, Universal Exhibition, Via Margutta Rome
Helped Jawad Salim in executing The Freedom Memorial

1961
Michaellogi Foundry for Bronze Molding, Pistoya, Italy

1962
Lecturer, Academy of Fine Arts, Dept of Sculpture. Baghdad

1964
Gulbenkian Prize, Best Iraqi Sculpture, Baghdad, Iraq

1994
Lebanese State Prize, Ministry of Culture. Rashana, Lebanon

1996
Taught bronze molding in theory and in practice.Established new subjects to teach in the Academy of Fine Arts:
in Metal Arts
bronze molding
bronze etching
metals processing
Wood & Stone Arts
carving and modelling

2002
Appreciation Prize, the Arab League
Appointed as a head of National committee of plastic art in Iraq

1993
Dedicated his own section in the Iraq Art Museum In Baghdad.But in 2003 it was all vandalized during the war and about 150 pieces of art were stolen or destroyed.
He has also created many statues and monuments throughout Baghdad, including the famous 2 Swords Hands of Victory Arch.

Personal Exhibitions:
Baghdad, Bahrein, Beirut, Jordan, London, Los Angeles, Rome, San Remo, Sicily Forly, San Francisco
Lectures about Art:
Abu Dhabi, Bahrein, Belgium, Canada, Iraq, Italy