A New York sculptor says he has been left angry after spending $100,000 of his own money to create a large statue of far-right activist Charlie Kirk, only to find that it has drawn little interest from potential buyers or donors. Sergio Furnari, an Italian-born sculptor, said he intended to install the lifesize figure in Times Square and hoped it would help raise “millions” of dollars. Instead, he said he has received messages from people threatening to vandalise the sculpture. Money spent, little interestFurnari said he used $100,000 on materials and work including steel, resin and labour, without any commission. He had expected that unnamed wealthy donors would contribute, but that has not happened. He later set up an online fundraising campaign, aiming to raise an initial $150,000 and potentially more money so he could take the statue on tour. As of Thursday, he said he had raised $1,400. “I was thinking that it was going to resonate with the world, with whoever, but man, people are strange out there,” Furnari told The Guardian. “Meaning like, nobody is really coming up with support, especially financial support. So far I’ve spent all my money on this.” A broken foot in the makingFurnari also described obstacles during the statue’s construction. He said he broke his foot after tripping over a roll of tape in his studio while working on the project. He added that he did not believe the statue was cursed, but he said the situation had left him frustrated. “Things financially are a total, absolute nightmare,” he said. Kirk’s background and Furnari’s intentCharlie Kirk, a prominent far-right figure and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead in September last year. Furnari said he did not agree with Kirk on a number of issues, describing him as someone he was not a fan of. Kirk became influential among supporters of former US President Donald Trump, particularly through Turning Point USA and his podcast. Furnari referenced Kirk’s public statements about Palestine, which he said he found unsettling. Despite his disagreement with Kirk’s views, Furnari said his purpose in making the statue was to highlight what he described as free speech. During the same interview, he also said his reasons included supporting Kirk’s wife, promoting democracy and commemorating a person. He later compared the idea of memorialising an individual to artwork by historical figures including Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Furnari said the statue was made “just to commemorate a moment, you know, a person”. Times Square plan for September 10Furnari’s next step is to put the statue in Times Square on 10 September, the anniversary of Kirk’s death. He said he expected the timing to help generate attention and possibly allow him to recover some of his costs. Until then, he is left with a 6ft 4in statue built at his own expense, which he says no one is buying. Join the discussion? 21 July 2026
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