Alain Kirili Confronts Cancer Through New Paper Works, Citing Matisse and Newman
Alain Kirili, a sculptor born in France in 1946, is currently producing new pieces while receiving treatment for bone marrow cancer, regarding his creations as a tribute to life. His installation features 33 vibrant, painted, and collaged paper works that delve into themes of lightness and improvisation, echoing Matisse's later cutouts. Another series incorporates taped rectangles of newspaper intersected by a central 'zip,' alluding to Barnett Newman. Kirili, influenced by Roland Barthes, explores semiotics and calligraphy. He shares a Tribeca loft with his wife, artist Ariane Lopez-Huici. Recently, they became U.S. citizens, reflecting on community and the Me Too movement, while drawing inspiration from figures like Matisse, Willem de Kooning, and Louise Bourgeois.
Key facts
- Alain Kirili is a French-born sculptor born in 1946.
- He is undergoing treatment for bone marrow cancer.
- He has created a new installation of 33 works on paper exploring lightness.
- His work references Henri Matisse's cutouts and color use.
- He cites Barnett Newman's 'Vir Heroicus Sublimis' and 1966 Guggenheim show.
- Kirili studied Chinese calligraphy and Hebrew script influenced by Roland Barthes.
- He worked with a Dogon blacksmith in Mali in 2003.
- He and his wife Ariane Lopez-Huici recently became U.S. citizens.
Entities
Artists
- Alain Kirili
- Mary Jones
- Ariane Lopez-Huici
- Henri Matisse
- Barnett Newman
- Willem de Kooning
- David Smith
- Louise Bourgeois
- Mel Bochner
- Robert Morris
- Marcia Hafif
- Robert Ryman
- Elizabeth Murray
- Alfred Barr
- Tom Hess
- John Coltrane
- Simone de Beauvoir
Institutions
- artcritical
- Arts Magazine
- Guggenheim
- The New York Times
- Chapel of the Rosary
Locations
- France
- Tribeca
- New York
- United States
- Vence
- Mali
- Bolton Landing
- India
- Italy