Robert Murray developed his signature method of folding and bending a sheet of metal in the early 1960s, working with foundries to achieve his artistic vision. Kiana’s deep curves were wrought by steel rollers, while its bent or folded parts were created with a hydraulic press brake. Murray always starts with a flat, single plate of steel, which, he has noted, he “tend[s] to look at … like a big piece of canvas.” The paint of Kiana is bright and shiny, similar to the exterior of a car, however, the deep bends of the sculpture form 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.”