Kirkeby became a member of the Danish Academy in 1982. In 1990 he received the Art Prize of NORD/LB, which is endowed for outstanding efforts in the subject of contemporary art. In 1996 he received the Coutts Contemporary Art Foundation Award and the Henrik Steffens Award. In 1997 he became a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog and in 2003 he received the Herbert Boeckl Prize for his lifetime of work.[citation needed]
Career
In 1957, Kirkeby began studying natural history at the University of Copenhagen. As a research assistant, he went on several trips to Greenland, in 1958, 1959, and 1960. In 1962, he began studying at the Experimental Art School in Copenhagen (Danish: Den Eksperimenterende Kunstskole). During his time there, worked with a variety of mediums, including: painting, graphic arts, 8 millimeter films and performance pieces.[3]
By the time Kirkeby completed a master's degree in arctic geology at the University of Copenhagen in 1964, he was already part of the important experimental art school "eks-skolen." His interest in geology and other aspects of the natural world was fundamental to and characteristic of his art. Kirkeby went on to work as a painter, sculptor, writer, and printmaker.[citation needed] His works were exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1976, 1980, 1993, 1997, and 2005. In addition, he worked with theatre productions, designing the set for the New York City Ballet's 1999 production of Swan Lake, and the set and costumes for their 2007 production of Romeo and Juliet.[4]
Per Kirkeby was born 1 September 1938 in Copenhagen to Alfred Kirkeby Christensen and Lucy Helga Alice Nisbeth Bertelsen. His father Alfred was an engineer and he spent his childhood between Bispebjerg and Husum.[3] In his adult life, Kirkeby lived and worked between Hellerup, Læsø, Frankfurt am Main and Italy. In 1979, he married film producer Vibeke Windeløv. The next year he purchased a house on the island Laeso. Vibeke and Per separated in 2002. In 2005, he Married Mari Anne Duus Jørgensen in Grundtvig's Church.[3] Kirkeby had four children: two daughters and two sons.[citation needed]
In 2013, Kirkeby sustained a serious brain injury in a domestic fall accident.[5] He announced in 2015 that he had given up all further attempts to resume painting after the accident, but continued to create small etchings.[6][5] He died on 9 May 2018 at his home in Hellerup and is buried at Bispebjerg Cemetery.[1][3][7]
"Per Kirkeby: Retrospektive der Zeichnungen", Villa Massimo (2004)[14]
"Per Kirkeby: Natur und Gestalt. Retrospektive der Zeichnungen und Aquarelle", Sinclair-Haus, Bad Homburg v.d.H. (2003); Städtisches Kunstmuseum Singen, Germany (2004)
Kirkeby, Per; Hunov, John (1979). Per Kirkeby: Øuvrekatalog 1958–1977 over raderinger, linoleumssnit, træsnit (in Danish). Copenhagen: Den Danske Radeerforening. ISBN978-87-418-2690-5.
Wöhlk, Nina; et al. (2016). Kirkeby på Læsø: om Læsø i Per Kirkebys kunst (in Danish). Læsø Kunsthal. ISBN978-87-91209-05-5.
ARKEN Museum for samtidskunst (red.): Bricks : Per Kirkeby. 2023. ISBN 9788778751515
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (red.): Per Kirkeby - bronze. 2020. ISBN 9788793659292
Ane Hejlskov Larsen: Per Kirkeby : paintings 1978–1989. 2016 ISBN 9783863358570