Rado Kirov Bulgarian, b. 1955
Rado Kirov was born in 1955 in Bulgaria, where he trained as a coppersmith. He moved to South Africa in 1991 where he pursued a successful career crafting objects in precious metals, including a silver chalice presented to Pope John Paul II by President Nelson Mandela.
A burgeoning interest in sculpture saw him using his superior craft skills to grow and extend his practice. In 2012, drawing on his thorough knowledge of silversmithing, the artist perfected a technique of manipulating sheets of stainless steel by hand. Using the inherent physical properties of the metal, he creates a striking three-dimensional surface that dynamically mirrors its surroundings. These pieces look like quicksilver caught in mid- flow. Kirov refers to this technique as 'the mercury effect'.
His sculpture consists of wall-mounted reliefs and free-standing sculptures, all fabricated from stainless steel with highly polished surfaces. Some are geometric, some explicitly furniture-like, others are beads and droplets of formless matter; still more are glistening, reflective panels expressive of flowing landscapes. A new development are reliefs that reference the sensuous surfaces of the human body. The various pieces are subtly shaped by hand to yield complex, undulating forms from hard metal.
His art has its foundation in the transformation of base material into something mesmerising. It suggests something that is forever moving and unstable with a material that is hard and fixed. The artist makes distinct the effect of flow. He achieves a molten quality of form and an almost glacial, melting mutability. The visual impact of shimmering metal assimilating and distorting its environment - constantly changing as the viewer moves their viewpoint - speaks of possibility, potential and change. The work is a visual illusion, a tromp l'oeil, where stable forms are forever becoming. These are objects of desire - perpetually shifting, just beyond our grasp.
View available works on Artsy
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Balancing Cubes, 2023Mirror polished stainless steel120 x 36 x 35 cm
47.2 x 14.2 x 13.8 in -
Pyramid, 2023Mirror polished stainless steel55 x 40 x 40 cm
21.7 x 15.8 x 15.6 in -
Sandglass, 2023Mirror polished stainless steel54 x 58 x 58 cm
21.3 x 22.9 x 22.9 in -
Mood, 2022Mirrored Stainless Steel110 x 20 x 20 cm
43.3 x 7.9 x 7.9 in -
Ornament 1, 2022Mirrored Stainless Steel45 x 10 x 10 cm
17.7 x 4 x 4 in -
Ornament 2, 2022Mirrored Stainless Steel83 x 15 x 15 cm
32.6 x 5.9 x 5.9 in -
Emanation II, 2020Mirror polished stainless steel118 x 118 x 4 cm
46.5 x 46.5 x 1.6 in -
Emanation I, 2018Mirror polished stainless steel118 x 118 x 4 cm
46.5 x 46.5 x 1.6 in -
Fishpond, 2018Mirror polished stainless steel115 x 115 x 4 cm
45.3 x 45.3 x 1.6 in -
Horizon, 2018Mirror polished stainless steel115 x 115 x 4 cm
45.3 x 45.3 x 1.6 in -
Melting Ice Fields I, 2018Mirror polished stainless steel118 x 118 x 4 cm
46.5 x 46.5 x 1.6 in -
Melting Ice Fields II, 2018Mirror polished stainless steel118 x 118 x 4 cm
46.5 x 46.5 x 1.6 in -
The Connoisseurs, 2018Mirrored stainless steel46 x 120 x 155 cm
18 x 47.3 x 61 in -
Tumbling cubes, 2018Mirrored stainless steel54 x 72 x 107 cm
21 x 28 x 42 in
Send me more information on Rado Kirov
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Rado Kirov
Artist Feature 17 Oct - 17 Nov 2024Kirov's sculptures are more than just objects; they are living, breathing entities that seem to defy the laws of physics. With their fluid forms, reflective surfaces, and intricate details, these...Read more -
Rado Kirov
Mercurial Echoes 11 Jan - 10 Mar 2024Kirov is a craftsman with a profound understanding of his chosen material. Using dynamic processes of hammering, heating and polishing, he transforms the hard and rectilinear metal into sleek, smooth...Read more -
Rado Kirov
Quicksilver 4 Jun - 17 Jul 2022Pontone Gallery is delighted to present a new collection of free-standing and wall-based steel sculptures by the renowned Bulgarian sculptor Rado Kirov.Read more -
Rado Kirov
The Mercury Effect 18 May - 17 Jun 2018Rado Kirov's sculpture consists of wall-mounted reliefs and free-standing sculptures, all fabricated from stainless steel with highly polished surfaces. Some are geometric, some explicitly furniture-like, others are beads and droplets of formless matter; still more are glistening, reflective panels expressive of flowing landscapes. A new development are reliefs that reference the sensuous surfaces of the human body. The various pieces are subtly shaped by hand to yield complex, undulating forms from hard metal.Read more
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Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary 2025
20 - 23 Mar 2025Pontone Gallery is delighted to announce our participation in the upcoming Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary 2025. For TICKET & sales enquiries Please email us...Read more -
Art Wynwood 2021
Special Online Edition 24 Feb - 14 Mar 2021For the 2021 Special Online Edition of Art Wynwood on Artsy, Pontone Gallery presents an exquisite collection of work from internationally acclaimed artists. The Pontone...Read more