The figurative metal sculptures of Kira Freije (b.1985) render human bodies as hollow, cage-like structures posed in assorted states of action or contemplation. Combining cold-formed metalwork and sand-cast aluminium – skills the British artist acquired while working with blacksmiths in Sussex, England – her humanoid figures, who sometimes wear rudimentary clothes, appear like performers, acting out roles and situations from familial dynamics and interpersonal relationships to expressions of religious devotion. In Leadership and Protection, a kneeling man begs his fleeing partner to stay, while in Beneath the Higher Worlds, a solitary kneeling figure raises its arms in worship, or perhaps surrendering to a malevolent enemy – such is the ambiguous nature of Freije’s work. Many of these poses recall medieval and Renaissance apocalyptic art, though the amalgamation of human and machine-like qualities are suggestive of science fiction cyborgs. Yet while Freije uses hard, industrial materials, her figures are imbued with a warm humanity.