Mohammed Ghani Hikmat’s Baghdadi Marriage Procession is a work that brims with celebration, from the party of figures that Hikmat has sculpted, to the plethora of food they are to enjoy, and the melody’s that Hikmat encourages the viewer to imagine through the musical entourage. Born 1929 in Baghdad, Hikmat is one of Iraq’s most renowned sculptors, whose influences drew on traditional Persian and Arab folk tales, alongside a combination of Babylonian monuments, Sumerian art, and sculptures from the Abbasid period.

Hikmat was a prolific sculptor and exhibitor during his career, while also playing a formative role in the growing Iraqi art scene most notably as a pioneering member of the Baghdad Group for Modern Art and the Al Zawiya Group. While heavily involved in the artistic landscape of his homeland, Hikmat’s career also heralded great success globally, with exhibitions in Rome, San Remo, London, Beirut, and Baghdad. The present work is exemplary of Hikmat’s skilful handling of his material to create a unique sense of fluidity and dynamism, which contributes richly to the sculpture’s sense of motion and energy.

With the present work, Hikmat created several studies prior to its execution, and through them we can observe the sculptor’s development of the piece. Trialling different processional arrangements, likely in the same year, Hikmat ultimately produced the 28 pieces that constitute this outstanding work. Baghdadi Marriage Procession bears the hallmarks of Iraqi wedding tradition, where the seventh and final ritual is that of the celebration. There is often a euphonic, joyous band of traditional musicians (Zaffa), with additional contributions from the groom's family members and friends who are likely tooting horns and singing - all with the intention to ensure all those around are aware a wedding is happening. With the present work, the moment Hikmat has likely depicted is during the bride and groom's journey to their wedding venue, after the groom has greeted the bride at her home.

Hikmat studied sculpture at the Institute of Replica Handbags s in Baghdad, whereupon graduating in 1953, the artist then moved to Rome to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti. Choosing to study in two countries, each with their own rich respective history undoubtedly shaped Hikmat’s artistic output. Rome was a defining period for Ghani as it allowed him to work with a variety of materials while also earning him praise from Italian critics, as they lauded his distinct style that was rarely seen in the European country. Hikmat succeeded, like few others, in creating modern Arab sculpture that presented trailblazing explorations into form and movement. Credited with creating many of Baghdad’s most high-profile sculptures and monuments, Hikmat occupies a significant position in the region’s cultural history.