New York Artist Spends Rs 96 Lakh On Charlie Kirk Statue, Says No One Wants To Buy It: "People Are Cheap"

A New York-based sculptor says he is facing a financial nightmare after spending $100,000 (around Rs 96 lakh) of his own money to build a life-size statue of Charlie Kirk, only to discover there is little interest in buying it. Sergio Furnari, an Italian-born artist, said he expected wealthy supporters of the late conservative activist to help cover the cost of the project. Instead, his fundraising campaign has attracted only a fraction of its target, while he says he has received messages from people threatening to vandalise the sculpture, Guardian reported. 

Adding to his troubles, Furnari recently broke his foot after tripping over a roll of tape while working in his studio. 

"Is it cursed? Maybe. I don't know," he told the Guardian.

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Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was a prominent figure in conservative political circles before he was shot dead in September last year. He frequently drew criticism for inflammatory and controversial remarks on race and other issues, making him a deeply polarising public figure.

Furnari said he created the statue to "glorify and exercise" his First Amendment right to free speech. However, he offered different explanations at times, including supporting Charlie Kirk's wife, "glorifying democracy", and "commemorating a person". 

"Why am I making the statue? The same reason why Michelangelo did the Pietà, or Michelangelo did the David, or Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. Why? Just to commemorate a moment, you know, a person," he added. 

Although the project was never commissioned, the sculptor admitted he had hoped donations from supporters would help recover the money he invested in steel, resin and labour.

That support has failed to materialise. Furnari launched an online fundraiser with an initial goal of $150,000, saying he eventually hoped to raise millions to take the statue on a nationwide tour. So far, however, the campaign has brought in only a small portion of that amount.

"I was thinking that it was going to resonate with the world, with whoever, but man, people are strange out there. Meaning like, nobody is really coming up with support, especially financial support. So far I've spent all my money on this," he said. 

Despite the poor response, Furnari insists the statue is "blessed" rather than cursed. Still, he admits the financial burden has been overwhelming and expressed frustration that expected donors never came forward. 

"Things financially are a total, absolute nightmare. It's like wow. People are cheap, man. You know, people talk, talk – I know lots of people out there, and everybody's so cheap. You know, like, it's disgusting how cheap they are," he added. 

His latest plan is to unveil the 6-foot-4-inch statue in New York's Times Square on September 10, the anniversary of Kirk's death, hoping the display will attract attention and perhaps help him recover some of the money he spent.