Mohammad Ghani Hikmat Sculpture

Artist who brought bronze sculpture to Iraq dies at 82

BAGHDAD: Mohammad Ghani Hikmat, a prominent Iraqi sculptor whose art abounds in public squares across Baghdad, has died of kidney failure at the age of 82, a source close to his family said.

Hikmat was lauded for bringing bronze sculpting to Iraq, and just this year was asked by the capital's authorities to design a new set of four works ahead of a planned Arab League summit that was due to be held earlier this year before being postponed. He will be buried Thursday.

"Hikmat's departure is a big loss for Iraqi art in general, and sculpting in particular," said fellow sculptor Taha Haibat. "He left a large artistic legacy, and he will always be a mentor for Iraqi artists … The fine art movement lost one of its main icons and founders."

Hikmat was born in Baghdad in 1928, and after initially completing his studies at the Iraqi capital's Fine Arts Institute in 1953 he moved to Rome for further study.

He spent the last several years in Jordan, and was taken to Amman's Al-Khalidi hospital with kidney problems more than a week ago before dying Monday evening, according to a source close to the artist's family.

The four statues that Hikmat was commissioned to sculpt for public squares in the capital have been completed, but not yet installed.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on September 15, 2011, on page 16.