Kirili’s Arabesque sculptures bridge art, movement, and music through its title. The term “arabesque” has multiple meanings: a style of music popularized by Claude Debussy’s Deux Arabesques in addition to a position in ballet— the dancer stands on one leg in tendu and extends their arms outwards. As an adjective in art history, “arabesque” also describes the sweeping ornamental forms derived from Islamic art, featuring ornate scrolls, tendrils, and curved lines.

Kirili’s works combine these ideas in each sculptural form. The metal rods move sinuously in a similar manner as a ballet dancer or a freestyle movement in his loft. The iron base works in conjunction with the brass it supports, an idea Kirili derives from the Indian iconography of yoni-linga. In an interview for the Gallery’s exhibition catalogue last fall, he explained, “The base, yoni, as the symbol of the female sex in Hindu iconography. There is also the conceptual phallic element, which is called the linga. When brought together, the linga and the yoni represent [the deity] Shiva.” Here, this material unification celebrates a sensual joyousness. Furthermore, much like the self-described “communion” between Kirili, Huici-Lopez, and the performers in the salon, the brass and iron are similarly forged together. Each component informs and supports the other, which, in dialogue, celebrates the Eros of life itself.