(Born in 1946 in Paris, FR; Died in 2021 in New York, US. Lived and worked in Paris and New York.)
PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2025
- Musée de la Cour d’Or, Metz Métropole, Metz, FR
Two works were inaugurated into the permanent collection in September 2025.
- Lines, Curator: Carlos Sicilia, Liaigre, New York, NY, US
2024
- Centre Pompidou, Paris, FR
Two additional monumental sculptures entered the collection: Zahin (1980) and King (1987). The museum already held multiple terracotta works from the Ivresse ensemble (acquired 2009).
- MAMC+ (Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole), Saint-Étienne, FR (ongoing)
Kirili’s work is currently on view in the reopened collection exhibition “BRAND NEW!”, which highlights recent acquisitions and large-scale sculptures.
- FAB Paris, RX&SLAG, Grand Palais, Paris, FR
- Défi de l’apesanteur, RX&SLAG, Paris, FR
- Totem, SLAG&RX, New York, USA.2023 – Selected Works, SLAG&RX, New York, NY, US
2023
- Selected works, SLAG&RX, New York, NY, US
2022
- Singing in Unison – Part 3, Below Grand Gallery, New York, NY, US
- Singing in Unison – Part 7, Below Grand Gallery, New York, NY, US
- Couvent des Franciscaines, Deauville, FR
- SLAG Gallery, New York, Ny, US
2019
- Susan Inglett Gallery, New York, NY, US
2016
- Hionas Gallery, New York, NY, US
2014
- ArtHelix Gallery, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY, US
- Caen Fine Arts Museum, Caen, FR
- Cohue Museum, Vannes, FR
- Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo, JP
2013
- Pièce Unique Gallery, Paris, FR
2012
- Parvis Hôtel de Ville, Paris, FR
- Hartung Bergman Foundation, Antibes, FR
- Picasso Museum, Antibes, FR
- Akira Ikeda Gallery, New York, US / Berlin, DE
2011
- Grenoble Museum, Grenoble, FR
- Montmajour Abbey, Arles, FR
- Caen Fine Arts Museum, Caen, FR
2010
- Jean-Luc & Takako Richard Gallery, Paris, FR
2009
- St Jean d’Orbestier Abbey, Château d’Olonne, FR
2007
- Orangerie Museum, Paris, FR
- Galerie Salander O’Reilly, New York, NY, US
2006
- Orsay Museum, Paris, FR
2005
- Garden of the Palais Royal, Paris, FR
2004
- New York Studio School, New York, NY, US
2003
- Valencian Institute of Modern Art - IVAM, Valencia, ES
2002
- Valenciennes Fine Arts Museum, Valenciennes, FR
2000
- Marlborough Gallery, New York, NY, US
1999
- Grenoble Fine Arts Museum, Grenoble, FR
- San Francisco Fine Arts Museum, Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, CA, US
1998
- Marlborough Gallery, New York, NY, US
1997
- Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, US
1996
- Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, FR
1994
- The Talbot Rice Art Gallery, Edimburg, GB
1992
- Saint-Étienne Museum of Modern Art, Saint-Étienne, FR
1991
- Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY, US
- Calais Fine Arts Museum, Calais, FR
- Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, FR
1990
- Holly Solomo Gallery, New York, NY, US
1989
- Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, FR
1987
- Holly Solomon Gallery, New York, Ny, US
1985
- Rodin Museum, Paris, FR
- Adrien Maeght Gallery, Paris, FR
1984
- Adrien Maeght Gallery, Paris, FR
- Saint Pierre Museum, Lyon, FR
- Besançon Fine Arts Museum, Besançon, FR
1983
- Kunstmuseum, Düsseldorf, DE
1982
- Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, US
- Frankfurter Kunstverein, Francfort, DE
1981
- Diane Brown Gallery, Washington, DC, US
- Dallas Fine Arts Museum, Dallas, TX, US
1980
- Beyeler, Bâle, CH
1978
- Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, US
- HausLange Museum, Krefeld, DE
1976
- Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, FR
- Clocktower Institute for Art and Urban Ressources, New York PS1, New York, US
1972
- Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, FR
FORMER GALLERIES (selection)
Hionas Gallery on the Lower East Side in New York City (2016)
Galerie Pièce Unique, Paris (2013)
Galerie Akira Ikeda, New York, Berlin, Tokyo (2012, 2014)
Marlborough Gallery, New York (1998-2000)
Galerie Templon, Paris (1989-1996)
Holly Solomon Gallery, New York (1987, 1990)
Galerie Adrien Maeght, Paris (1984, 1985)
Galerie Beyeler, Basel (1980)
Sonnabend Gallery Paris, Geneva, New York (1972-1982)
AWARDS
2020
- Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, FR
2019
- A Lifetime of Achievement, Vision Festival, US
- Art Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters, US
2000
- Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, FR
1997
- Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, FR
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS (selection)
United States
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, NY
The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY
The Jewish Museum, New York, NY
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT
Vogel Collection, RISD Museum of Art, Providence, RI
New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM
Dallas Museum of Art / Nasher Foundation, Dallas, TX
France
Centre Georges Pompidou / Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, FR
Fonds National d’Art Contemporain (FNAC), Paris, FR
FRAC Franche-Comté, Besançon, FR
FRAC Basse-Normandie, Caen, FR
FRAC Bretagne, Châteaugiron, FR
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Angers, FR
Musée Picasso, Antibes, FR
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen, Caen, FR
Musée de Grenoble, Grenoble, FR
Musée d’Art Contemporain Lyon, Lyon, FR
Musée d’Art Moderne Saint-Étienne, Saint-Étienne, FR
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes, Valenciennes, FR
Germany
Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg, DE
Museum Ludwig, Cologne, DE
Spain
Institut Valencià d’Art Modern (IVAM), Valencia, ES
PUBLICATIONS
Monographs
2012
- Kirili à Grenoble, Dubbeld Sabrina, editions Ereme.
2002
- Alain Kirili, Morgan Robert C., Paris, editions Flammarion.
Exhibition catalogues
2019
- Alain Kirili: Who’s Afraid of Verticality?, Susan Inglett Gallery, New York, USA.
2016
- Alain Kirili «In the Round», Hionas Gallery, New York, USA.
2014
- Suite Musicale, La Cohue Museum of Fine Arts in Vannes, France.
- Alain Kirili : Lévitations, Kristell Loquet, editions Marcel Le Poney.
- Alain Kirili: Drawing in Space, ArtHelix Gallery, Brooklyn, USA.
- Embodiment and Language: Alain Kirili’s Calligraphy in the Round, David Cohen.
- Parcours croisés, Caen Fine Arts Museum, France.
- Duo Absolu, Barry Schwabsky.
- Surgissement à deux, Yannick Haenel, Translated by Philip Barnard.
- Parcours croisés, Patrick Ramade.
- Alain Kirili Sculptures 1976-2014, Akira Ikeda Gallery, Berlin, Germany and Tokyo, Japan.
2013
- Alain Kirili, Pièce Unique Gallery, Paris, France.
- One place, one work: Kirili at Pièce Unique, Thierry Dufrêne.
2012
- Rythmes d’automne, Parvis de l’Hôtel de Ville de Paris, France.
- Rythmes d’automne à Paris, Thierry Dufrêne, editions Akira Ikeda Gallery.
2011
- Alain Kirili, Geste de Résistance, Caen Museum, France.
- The Eye of Hitler, Robert Paxton.
2007
- Kirili et les Nymphéas, Orangerie Museum, Paris, France.
- Alain Kirili & Gaston Lachaise, Salander O’Reilly Gallery, New York, USA.
- Gaston Lachaise, a french American, Alain Kirili.
- Flesh In Ecstasy, Paula Rand Hornbostel.
2006
- Kirili - Steichen, Correspondances, Orsay Museum, Paris.
- A Game for Two or More Players : Kirili, Steichen, Mallarmé, Raphael Rubinstein.
2004
- Alain Kirili, New York Studio School, USA.
- In the name of creation, Paul Audi.
- Sarah Lewis, Bambara Raphsodies.
2003
- David Smith’s Drawings, ENSBA, Paris, France.
- David Smith : the probity of his art, Robert Storr.
2002
- Kirili dialogue avec Carpeaux, Valenciennes Museum, France.
1999
- Alain Kirili, Grenoble Museum, France.
- The Commandments Mystical fonts by Alain Kirili, Edmund White.
- Alain Kirili : a dialog with Rodin, Fine arts Museum of San Francisco, USA.
- Alain Kirili : A Dialog with Rodin, Steven A. Nash.
1994
- Open Form Sculpture, Sainsbury Center for Visiual Arts, Norwich, Royaume-Uni.
- Open Form Sculpture, Jeffett William.
1993
- Alain Kirili et Roy Haynes, Regional School of Fine Arts, Nantes, France.
1992
- Alain Kirili, Museum of Modern Art, Saint-Étienne, France.
- Constructed Morality, Philippe Dagen.
- Alain Kirili at Nuits-Saint-Georges, Martine Dancer.
- Letter to my Translator, Barry Schwabsky.
- Alain Kirili, Le Baiser, Carrée Gallery, Villa Arson, Nice, France.
1991
- Kirili, Commandement XI, Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, France.
- Commandement, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
1990
- Alain Kirili et l’abstraction du modelé, Calais Fine Arts Museum, Calais, France.
1989
- Alain Kirili, Daniel Templon Gallery, Paris, France.
- Alain Kirili,“Lighting the Fuse” after the Appropriation.
1987
- Alain Kirili, Holly Solomon Gallery, New York, USA.
1985
- Alain Kirili, Rodin Museum, Paris, France.
- Alain Kirili au Musée Rodin, Kirk Varnedoe.
- Alain Kirili, Adrien Maegth Gallery, Paris, France.
- Alain Kirili, Terres cuites 1972-1984, Contemporary Art Centre, Châteauroux, France.
1984
- Alain Kirili, Adrien Maegth Gallery, Paris, France.
1982
- Alain Kirili, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Robert Rosenblum, Essay.
1981
- A.Kirili : Recent Sculpture, Art Museum, Dallas, USA.
1974
- Alain Kirili : peintures, dessins, sculptures, gravures, Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, France.
1972
- Alain Kirili, From One Line, Sonnabend Gallery, Paris, France.
- The Paradox of the Painter, Marcel Pleynet.