Born in Oslo, in 1955. Works and lives in Turin and Oslo.
He studied History of Art at Bergen University, and completed his training at the “Istituto Statale d’Arte” in Florence, at the “Accademia di Belle Arti” in Bologna and finally at the “Accademia di Belle Arti” in Rome.
In 1990 he took part in the Nordic Countries Pavillion at the 44th International Art Exhibition in Venice ( XLIV Biennale di Venezia). His works have been exhibited in prestigious museums, among which Henie-Onstad Art Centre – Oslo, Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain – Nice, Museet for Samtidskunst – Oslo, CCC Centre de Création Contemporaine – Tours, Palacio de Cristal, Parque del Retiro, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía – Madrid, Fondazione Merz – Torino, CAC Málaga Centro De Arte Contemporáneo – Málaga.
Recently, he took part in the second edition of “Icastica” in Arezzo (2014), where he created an oil installation in the San Domenico church, under the crucifix by Cimabue. The same year he exhibited at the collective art exhibition “Made by Brazilians…Creative Invasion”, in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2015 he was invited to partecipate in “L’albero della cuccagna”, an event organized by Achille Bonito Oliva, where he created an oil room at Ca’ Pesaro, in Venice. In 2017 he presented a huge installation at the opening of Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré in Tours, France. In 2018 he participated in Manifesta 12, Palermo, with an oil room at the Cavallerizza of Palazzo Mazzarino, and in 2019 he created an oil room at the Carpintarias de São Lázaro, Lisbon. In 2023, the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in Oslo dedicated a major solo exhibition to the artist. In 2025, the former Church of San Barbaziano opened to the public with the special project “The Massacre of the Innocents”, in dialogue with Guido Reni. From May 21 to July 20, 2025, he created the oil room “Abyss” at the Royal Theatre of the Reggia di Caserta, which was visited by over 200,000 people.
Selected solo exhibitions:
2025
Abyss, Royal Theatre of the Reggia di Caserta, Caserta
La Strage degli Innocenti, ex Chiesa di San Barbaziano, Bologna
Per Barclay, Urs Lüthi. Small Monuments and Archisculpture, Otto Gallery, Bologna
2024
In/Visibile, Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
2023
Soft sweet vortex, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Oslo
2022
La luce nell’ombra, Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
2019
Per Barclay: The House of Oil and Water, Redwood Library & Athenæum (US)
Tramonto, Otto Gallery, Bologna
Per Barclay – Cavallerizza Palazzo Mazzarino, Francesco Pantaleone, Milan
Oil Room, Carpintarias de São Lázaro, Lisbon
2018
Kunstsilo, Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, Kristiansand (Norway)
Camere d’olio, KODE, Bergen (Norway)
Per Barclay – Cavallerizza Palazzo Mazzarino, Francesco Pantaleone, Palermo – Manifesta 12
2017
Stanze, Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré, Tours (France)
2016
Per Barclay – Bianco Palermo, Francesco Pantaleone Arte Contemporanea, Palermo
2015
Nero notte, Giacomo Guidi, Rome
Hors échelle, Creux de l’enfer centre d’art contemporain, Thiers (France)
Ca’ Pesaro, L’Albero della Cuccagna, Nutrimento per l’Arte – curated by Achille Bonito Oliva, Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna, Venice
2014
Mar de Arte, Cartagena (Spain)
Insisto, Galerie Guy Bärtschi, Genève (Switzerland)
2013
Centre d’art le Radar, Bayeux (France)
2012
Chambres d´Huiles (Suite), Château de Tours / CCC Tours, Tours (France)
Fluido, CAC Málaga, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Málaga (Spain)
2011
Per Barclay, RueVisconti, Paris
Galleri MGM, Oslo Formue Forvaltningen, Oslo
Mémoires Contemporaines, 46, Quai Le Gallo, Boulogne-Billancourt
(France)
Rosso Ribera, Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
2010
Canon, Galerie Guy Bärtschi, Genève
(Switzerland)
Per Barclay – Palazzo Costantino, Francesco Pantaleone Arte Contemporanea, Palermo
Adolf Kanonen, Galleri MGM, Oslo
2009
68°50’ N., Festspillene i Nord-Norge (The Festival of North Norway), Harstad (Norway)
68°50′N., Bergen Kunsthall, Bergen (Norway)
2008
Chambre d’huile, Fondazione Merz, Turin
Stanze d’acqua, Otto Gallery, Bologna
Chambres d’huile, CCC Centre de Création Contemporaine de Tours, Tours
(France)
Sans parole, Musée d’Art Contemporain de Sérignan, Sérignan (France)
2007
Ayúdame Ribera, Galería Oliva Arauna, Madrid
Nytt Landskap, Galleri MGM, Oslo
2006
Galerie Guy Bärtschi, Genève
(Switzerland)
Åshild, Simen y Halvard, Galería Oliva Arauna, Madrid
Galerie contemporaine de l’Hôtel de Ville, Chinon (France)
2005
Halvard Simen Ophelia, Galleri MGM, Oslo
Otto Gallery, Bologna
2004
Galleri Bouhlou, Bergen (Norway)
2003
Institut Universitaire de formation de Maîtres, Fondettes
(France)
Window Space, Copenhagen
Palacio de Cristal, Parque del Retiro, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid
Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
2002
Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea, San Sebastián
(Spain)
Galería Oliva Arauna, Madrid
2001
Bergen Kunstforening, Bergen
(Norway)
Centre de Création contemporaine de Tours, Tours (France)
2000
Galleria Civica di Arte Contemporanea, Trento
Galleri Wang, Oslo
Centro de Fotografía. Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca
Museum of Installation, London
1999
Telemark Art Center, Porsgrunn (Norway)
Galería Oliva Arauna, Madrid
Centre d’Art Contemporain, Ferme du Buisson, Noisiel
(France)
La transparence des choses, Crestet Centre d’Art, Château de Simiane, Valréas (France)
Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
1998
It’s now or never, Galerie DG, München
(Austria)
Galleri GI, Oslo
Art Jonction, Nice
Museet for Samtidskunst, Oslo
1997
Galleri Wang, Oslo
Galleri Bouhlou, Bergen
(Norway)
Fin de Siècle, Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
1996
Galería Oliva Arauna, Madrid
The Orchard Gallery, Londonderry (Ireland)
L’Abbaye de Maubuisson, Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône (France)
1995
Sala Recalde, Bilbao
Centre d’Art Contemporain de Vassivière en Limousin, Ile de Vassivière (France)
Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
Sandnes Kunstforening, Sandnes
(Norway)
Galerie Renos Xippas, Paris
1994
Galleri Wang, Oslo
Galleri Boulhou, Bergen
(Norway)
1993
Galleri Wang, Oslo
Artscape Nordland, Fauske (Norway)
Galería Oliva Arauna, Madrid
1992
Porin Taidemuseo, Pori
(Finland)
Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens
Arte Roma, Rome
Kasteel Blauwhuis, Izegem (Belgium)
The Power Plant, Toronto
Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain de Nice, Nice
Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
1991
Galleria Fabjbasaglia, Bologna
Galleria Giorgio Persano, Milan
Le Creux de l’Enfer, Centre d’Art Contemporain, Thiers
(France)
The Orpheus Gallery, Belfast
Henie-Onstad Kunstsenter, Oslo
1990
Galleria Giorgio Persano, Turin
Slade School of Fine Art, London
Padiglione dei Paesi Nordici, XLIV Esposizione Internazionale d’Arte, Biennale di Venezia, Venice