Robert Murray developed his signature method of folding and bending sheets of metal in the early 1960s, working with foundries to achieve his artistic vision. He often begins by using thin sheets of aluminum or tin to create models—akin to sketching in space. These maquettes allow him to explore sculptural ideas with spontaneity and lightness, an effect that is preserved in many of his final sculptures, despite the heft of their materials. He always starts with a single, flat plate of metal, which he looks at “like a big piece of canvas.” 

Kiana’s deep curves were wrought using steel rollers, while its bent and folded parts were made with a hydraulic press brake. Although the painted exterior is bright and shiny, similar to the exterior of a car, the deep bends of the sculpture create extreme ripples never seen in automobile design. As Murray has commented, “In a nutshell, and it’s probably hedonistic, these works are really an attempt to get sensuous responses out of metal without it becoming playful.”