Ghani adopted this philosophy by consciously including Assyrian and Babylonian architectural detail, geometric patterns (Arabesque) and Arabic calligraphy in his sculptures.

[9] Between 1959 and 1961, Ghani worked as an assistant to his friend, sculptor, Jawad Saleem, on the project to erect the Nasb al-Hurriyah (Monument of Freedom) in Baghdad's Liberation Square (pictured).

[12] From 1969 when the Hashemite monarchy was overthrown and Iraq became a republic, Ghani executed a number of high profile public monuments which are now dotted around the city of Baghdad.

[13] His early works were figurative and included statues of Sinbad, the Sailor; the 10th-century poet, Al-Mutanabbi; the first Abbasid Caliph, Abu-Ja'afar Mansur (in stone); Hammurabi (in bronze) and Gilgamesh.

[14] As he matured, his work became increasingly abstract, but he never lost sight of the need to reference Iraq's ancient art traditions through the use of Arabic script, geometric designs, and Sumerian architectural features.

[16] During the 2003 war, and the overthrow of the Ba'ath government, Ghani left Baghdad for Amman in Jordan, where he continued to work.

In addition, some 150 artworks had been stolen from Ghani's own studio[2] and public monuments such as his King Sharyhar, located on the banks of the Tigris, had been badly vandalised.

A few independent galleries purchased artworks with a view to returning them once a suitable national museum could be established but progress recovering the cultural assets was slow.

[18] In around 2007, Ghani established a committee, the members of which included many respected Iraqi artists, with the objective of recovering stolen artworks.

[18] In media interviews, Ghani often recalled how he was humbled by the generosity of members of the public, who approached him on the streets of Baghdad, wanting to return artworks which they had held in their possession for safekeeping.

"[22] Mohammed Ghani Hikmat died in Amman, Jordan, where he was receiving medical treatment, on September 12, 2011, at the age of 82.

[20] His most well-known works include a pair of statues of Queen Scheherazade and King Shahryar, located on the banks of the Tigris River, near Abu Nuwas Street[1] and the Fountain of Kahramana in the central business district.