Segou

Kirili began working with forged iron in the mid-1970s when he learned blacksmithing, a technique rarely utilized in contemporary art. Creating sculptures with forged iron requires fast and spontaneous manipulation of the metal while it is still hot enough to be malleable. Segou is named for a community in South Central Mali with a long history of metalworking. Kirili spent an extended period there, where he worked alongside Dogon blacksmiths. Kirili’s influences range from the Etruscan-inspired verticality of Alberto Giacometti, the spontaneous Abstract Expressionism of David Smith, the lingams of Indian Hindu Africa's totemic sculpture and rhythmic music, as well as American Jazz.