Painter, born in Liverpool. He was a shipping clerk, 1965–7, a bookshop salesman, 1967–9, then assistant to the director of Boys’ Town of Calcutta, 1969–71, after which he did various social work jobs until in 1982–5 he was at St Martin’s School of Art. The Royal College of Art followed, 1986–8. Kirby’s figure paintings had a disturbing, Surrealist element; symbols and objects and the painter’s own face frequently recurred, and there were references to his Catholic upbringing. Kirby showed in many mixed exhibitions from John Player Portrait Exhibition at National Portrait Gallery in 1984. As a solo artist he showed with Angela Flowers, in Ireland and London, from 1988, later exhibitions including Flowers West, Santa Monica, California, 2000, and Flowers Central, 2002.