By the time he completed a masters of education degree in arctic geology at the University of Copenhagen in 1964, he was already part of the important experimental art school ":da:Eks-skolen|eks-skolen" and worked primarily as a painter, sculptor, writer and a lithographic artist. Kirkeby’s interest in geology and nature in general played a crucial role in his artistic expressions, these themes being therefore very characteristic in the works of the artist. Kirkeby’s works have been shown at many art exhibitions worldwide and are represented in many public collections such as Tate, London; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York, Centre Pompidou, Paris. Kirkeby taught as a professor at the Art Academy in Karlsruhe and Frankfurter Städelschule. Kirkeby had four children, two daughters, two sons. From 2005, until the time of his death, he was married to Mari Anne Duus Jørgensen.
Career timeline
1962 Studies at the Experimental Art School in Copenhagen; works in the School on painting, graphic arts, 8 millimeter films and performance pieces 1974 Publishes Fliegende Blätter 1976 Participates in Venice Biennale 1977 One-man exhibition in the Museum Folkwang, Essen 1978 Professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe 1979 Purchases a house on the island Laeso in the Cattegat 1982 One-man exhibition in the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven; Documenta VII, Kassel 1988 Publishes books of essays on Delacroix, Manet, Picasso 1990 Receives the Art Prize of NORD/LB, endowed for outstanding efforts in the subject of contemporary art 1996 Receives the Coutts Contemporary Art Foundation Award and the Henrik-Steffens-Award 1996 1999 Designs Swan Lake, New York City Ballet 2000 Professorship at the Städelschule, Frankfurt a.M. 2003 Receives Herbert-Boeckl-Preis for his lifework 2005 He marries Mari Anne Duus Jørgensen in Grundtvigkirken, one of the architectural turning points in Copenhagen that he has written extensively about. This marriage has proven extremely important for the continuation of his art and her research. 2007 Designs set and costumes for Romeo and Juliet, New York City Ballet; first major exhibition in China at Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai; "Per Kirkeby", Arts Club of Chicago 2008 "Per Kirkeby Retrospective", Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark 2009 "Per Kirkeby Retrospective", Tate Modern, London 2013 Sustains a serious brain injury in a domestic fall accident 2015 Announces that he has given up all further attempts to resume painting after the accident, but still does create small etchings. Per Kirkeby lived and worked in Hellerup, Læsø, Frankfurt am Main and Italy.
Selected exhibitions
"Per Kirkeby", Kunsthalle Krems "Per Kirkeby: Sculptures en brique", Palais des études, "Kirkeby på Læsø – om Læsø i Per Kirkebys kunst", Læsø Kunsthal, Østerby, Denmark "Per Kirkeby komplet. Det raderede livsværk", "Per Kirkeby – Samlingen", "Per Kirkeby", "Per Kirkeby", Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Copenhagen Designs settings and costumes for Romeo and Juliet, "Per Kirkeby", "Per Kirkeby", Arts Club of Chicago, Chicago "Per Kirkeby", Copenhagen "Per Kirkeby: Prototypes of Nature", "Per Kirkeby", , Kiel, Germany "Per Kirkeby / Crystal – Reflections, Connections and References", Aargaouer Kunsthaus, Aarau, Switzerland "Homage to Chillida", "Per Kirkeby: Retrospettiva dei Disegni", Accademia Tedesca in Roma, , Rome "Per Kirkeby: Natur und Gestalt. Retrospektive der Zeichnungen und Aquarelle", Sinclair-Haus, Bad Homburg v.d.H. ; Städtisches Kunstmuseum Singen, Germany "Per Kirkeby. Monotypes", University Art Gallery, University Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA "DC: Per Kirkeby. 122 x 122 – Gemälde auf Masonit", Museum Ludwig, Cologne "Per Kirkeby. Die Karlsruher Jahre", im Hallenbau A, Städtische Galerie Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe "Per Kirkeby. Radierungen, Holzschnitte, Monotypien • 1980-2000", , Berlin "Per Kirkeby. Schilderijen, sculpturen en modellen in brons/Peintures, Sculptures et modèles en bronze", Paleis voor Schone Kunsten/Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, "Per Kirkeby. Peintures 1992-1996", Maison des Arts Georges Pompidou, Centre d'art contemporain, Cajarc-Lot, France "Retrospektive", Ludwig Museum, Cologne "Per Kirkeby: Recent Paintings and Sculpture", Whitechapel Art Gallery, London "An International Survey of Recent Painting and Sculpture", , New York "Per Kirkeby", Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven "Per Kirkeby", Kunsthalle Bern "Fliegende Blätter", Essen , Copenhagen
