Untitled (Struggling Family)

The present intricate bronze design is reminiscent of Mohammed Ghani Hikmat's seven years as a student in Italy, graduating from the Accademia Di Belle Arti of Rome in 1957 and then his formative bronze-making years at the the Instituto di Zaka in Florence. The struggling family depicted in this sculptural composition is a symbol for the consequences of war and embargo during Iraq’s turbulent political history in the 90s. It is the remains of a family after its young men fought and died in the war, as well as those who were forced to migrate out of their country, leaving the women, children and elderly at home. Often working in this medium of bronze or wood, the presented work is evident of the heavy influence of Sumerian and Babylonian monuments and artworks from the Abbasid period. The carefully crafted piece depicts a struggling family in a manner that projects a feeling of protection, all depicted in a simplified form, executed in a style bearing homage to Renaissance humanism. The eldest of the bunch stand tall in the middle, with the youngest of children right by their feet. The composition is much like that of a family tree, starting from the center and expanding outwards. This intricate scene of women and children in unison along the length of the piece offers a discourse on ideas of femininity, segregation, development and tradition. The tightly packed figures suggest a feeling of comfort and belonging through difficult political and financial times, especially following the first Gulf War.

Following the United States-led invasion of 2003, many Iraqi works were stolen during various lootings, including 150 sculptures created by Hikmat from The National Museum’s collection of the artist. Furthermore, looters broke into the artist’s studio and destroyed many of his works. Hikmat’s devastation led him to form a committee that managed to purchase back more than 100 works that were previously stolen.