Italian artist Sergio Furnari says he plans to unveil a memorial statue honoring Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in New York City's Times Square on Sept. 10, marking the one-year anniversary of Kirk's assassination, as reported by Fox News.
Furnari has been sculpting images of Kirk since last year and has documented the project's development through videos posted on his Instagram account.
The artist said the completed monument will be displayed in Times Square and is intended to honor Kirk while promoting the principle of free speech.
"It’s going to be in the middle of Times Square, the center of the universe," Furnari said in one of his videos over the weekend.
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"You can bring over whoever you want, family or friends. If you were a big fan of Charlie, this will be your opportunity to maybe find a little bit of peace or harmony."
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According to Furnari, work on the project began after Kirk was assassinated during a Utah Valley University event. The sculptor has continued refining the design over the past several months while sharing updates with supporters online.
In one of his earliest videos discussing the project, posted in November, Furnari explained that he had not been a supporter of Kirk before his death but came to respect what he viewed as Kirk's willingness to engage with people who disagreed with him.
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"I did not agree with 99.9% of whatever he was talking about, but there's the 0.001% that I agree with him. At the moment you kill or assassinate people just because you don't agree with somebody, that's when you become like the worst country ever," Furnari said.
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Since then, Furnari has continued promoting the larger memorial sculpture and has announced plans to publicly display it on Sept. 10.
As the unveiling date approaches, Furnari said he has received threats directed at both himself and the statue.
Addressing critics in a video posted Tuesday, the artist defended the project and said it represents free expression rather than a political message.
"Now, to all the haters, how many times you guys want to kill Charlie?" Furnari asked.
"I mean, wasn't one time enough? To all of you guys out there that want to come and destroy...want to bring a drill bat and some spray paint, and you want to destroy him, you want to burn him, come on, guys. The guy's dead. I mean, if you guys are afraid of a statue, there's something really wrong with you. It's just a statue. The message is simple: freedom of speech. I'm exercising my First Amendment [right], which is freedom of speech. That's all it is."
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In comments provided to Fox News Digital, Furnari said he is not overly concerned about criticism surrounding the project.
He said critics "bark like chihuahuas" but "they don't bite."
Furnari also noted that he experienced similar reactions after creating a bust of President Donald Trump, which he displayed in recognition of Trump's 80th birthday.
The artist rejected suggestions that the Charlie Kirk memorial is intended as a political statement, saying his motivation centers on honoring someone who lost his life.
"I'm not into that stuff at all. I like Trump, but that's it. I'm basically talking, you know what I mean? You know, it felt like I'm a MAGA, you know, or I'm Republican, or I am a Democrat. I'm an artist, that's it. I never voted, never will. Yeah, it's not about politics. You know, this is not like a political statement. This is just like a guy that got killed and then got bullied," Furnari said.
To help complete the project, Furnari has established a GoFundMe campaign for what he describes as a "bigger than life-size" statue of Kirk.
According to the fundraising page, the sculptor has sold his apartment to continue financing the memorial.
If completed as planned, the statue will be unveiled in Times Square on Sept. 10, one year after Kirk's death, as Furnari continues to promote the project as a tribute focused on free speech and remembrance.
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