Per Kirkeby

Per Kirkeby was a Danish artist widely regarded as one of Denmark's most important modern painters. Born in Copenhagen in 1938, he trained as a geologist before turning to art, and his scientific eye for rock, earth, and natural structure runs through his work. His large abstract paintings suggest layered landscapes, forests, and geological forms in rich, earthy color.

He also worked as a sculptor, building solid brick structures, and was a poet and filmmaker as well. His art hovers between abstraction and hints of the natural world, dense and full of movement. Kirkeby's powerful, layered paintings and his wide-ranging creativity made him a central figure in European art of his generation.