Ahmed Albahrani

Ahmed Albahrani is an Iraqi sculptor born in Tuarej, in the Babylon region, who divides his time between Doha and Stockholm. He works mainly in metal, in bronze and iron, and also paints. His work ranges from small cast pieces to large public monuments.

Two strands run through the sculpture. One is a series of large figures of political and religious personalities who carry weapons. The other is a set of geometric forms that look battered, bent and hammered. Both return to war and the damage it leaves. In The Sparrow… What Remains (2026) he turns to birds in bronze, painted ship timber and LEGO bricks, shown with carpets.

Albahrani graduated in sculpture from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad in 1988 and taught in Baghdad from 1992 to 1994. He left Iraq in 1994 and lived in Amman and then Yemen before settling between Doha and Stockholm in 1999. His public works include the ROTA Cube for Hamad International Airport (2013 to 2016) and the 2015 Handball World Championship trophy. His Anti-Corruption Hand sculptures were shown in Vienna in 2016 and Geneva in 2017. He has shown with Albareh Art Space in Bahrain and Art Sawa in Dubai. He co-founded Mimar Gallery with the architect Hazem Abu Naba'a, and the RAK Art Foundation holds his work.