New York artist who made statue of Charlie Kirk claims no one will buy it

A New York City sculptor who spent thousands of his own dollars to build a statue of Charlie Kirk is seeking to recoup his costs after he was unable to find donors to commission his life-size creation.

Sergio Furnari, who created the bust of the deceased far-right activist, wrote in a fundraising page he appears to have set up himself that he sold his home to fund the project but no one had come forward to buy his work.

“Sadly none of the politicians/entrepreneurs/supporters have contacted him. Sergio has sold his own apartment to fund this project,” the page notes, adding that anyone who donates funds will have their name engraved on the monument.

“Yes, your name will be eternally attached to Charlie Kirk,” it reads.

Kirk, who founded the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, was shot dead during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University last September.

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The fundraising page claims that after building the initial sculpture, Furnari displayed it in close proximity to the White House and in Times Square at his own expense, but that the statue has not been received kindly.

“We’ve been receiving lots of threats and hate mail,” the funding page says, referring to a Charlie Kirk monument TikTok account that it says was banned after the launch video “went viral,” adding that the intention behind the statue was to install a proper monument in memory of Kirk.

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Kirk, a far-right political figure, was known for making incendiary statements on race, the LGBTQ+ community, and COVID-19 treatments.

His takes were often grounded in traditional Christian values and revolved around the notion of the nuclear family, traditional gender roles and anti-abortion legislation.

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He became a critical ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, who posthumously awarded Kirk America’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was accepted by Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who has since taken over as CEO of Turning Point USA.

The president also spoke at Kirk’s funeral in September, calling him a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom, while Vice President JD Vance accompanied his body home to Arizona on Air Force Two along with Erika Kirk.

Furnari told The Guardian in an interview that he did not agree with Kirk on certain topics and that he “wasn’t a fan” of some of his views, including Kirk’s position against Palestinian statehood.

He told the news agency he made the sculpture to “glorify and to exercise the First Amendment, this freedom of speech,” to “glorify democracy,” and to “commemorate a person.”

His fundraising page, which states the money will be used for “materials, labour, design, logistics,” has a goal of $150k USD and, as of publication, has raised over $7,500.