Ragna Bley is an artist based in Oslo working primarily with painting, and also with sculpture, text, and performance. Embracing spontaneity and scale, she draws inspiration ranging from science fiction and the natural world to art history, pushing the boundaries of her medium with a restless commitment to experimentation. Her intuitive work expresses conceptual ideas through vibrant colour, evoking living organisms, shifting weather, and imagined landscapes. Underpinning this diverse sensibility is a strong technical grounding, honed through her BFA at the National Academy of Fine Arts, Oslo (2011) and her MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art, London (2015).

Bley (b. 1986, Uppsala, Sweden) has held solo exhibitions at Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo (2022); Malmö Konsthall (2020); and Kunsthall Oslo (2017). Selected group exhibitions include The Canvas Can Do Miracles, The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center, Austin, Texas (2025); Ars Fennica 2025, Helsinki Art Museum (2025–26); After the Sun – Forecasts from the North, Gammel Strand, Copenhagen and AKG Buffalo, New York (2024); Abstraction (re)creation, Le Consortium, Dijon (2024); The Hour of Reckoning, Henie Onstad Art Center (2021); and The Moderna Exhibition, Moderna Museet, Stockholm (2018). Her work is included in collections such as the Nasjonalmuseet (Norway), Astrup Fearnley Museet (Norway), Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (Norway), Moderna Museet (Sweden), TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (Spain & Austria), Foundation Carmignac (France), Museum Susch (Switzerland), The Buffalo AKG Museum (USA), and The George Economou Collection (Greece), among others.

Bley was among the nominees for the Ars Fennica Prize 2025, one of the most significant contemporary art awards in the Nordic region. Upcoming exhibitions include When I'm in My Painting, a group exhibition at Kistefos, The Twist, together with Ida Ekblad, Oscar Murillo, and Albert Oehlen (May–November 2026), and a solo exhibition at Vandalorium, Sweden (2027).

Ragna Bley, SILENT ARREST, 23.08-05.10.24

Ragna Bley, Serrated Tongues, 12.11-22.12.21

Ragna Bley, Pluto, 23.08-06.10.18

Born 1986 in Uppsala, Sweden

Lives and works in Oslo

Education

2013 - 2015

Master of Art, Painting, Royal College of Art, London, Great Britain

2008 - 2011

Bachelor of Fine Art, The National Academy of Art, Oslo, Norway

Selected Solo & Two-Person Exhibitions

2027

Vandalorum, Värnamo, Sweden (Forthcoming)

2025

Move Baby, Move Pilar Corrias Gallery, London, UK

2024

OSL contemporary, Norway

2022

Stranger's Eye, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway
Viridian Land, Pilar Corrias Gallery, Great Britain

2021

Serrated Tongues, OSL contemporary, Norway
Soundings Downs & Ross, New York, USA

2020

Malmö Konsthall, Malmö, Sweden
Ariel, Copenhagen, Denmark

2018

Pluto, OSL Contemporary, Oslo, Norway
Zooid, Kabuso Art House, Øystese, Norway

2017

Superbody Sweet Editorial, Vilnius, Lithuania
Lay Open, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Germany
ZOOID, Munchmuseet i bevegelse - Kunsthall Oslo, Norway

2016

Pine Pitch, Hester Gallery, New York, USA

2013

Leather Body - Feather Scope, Gallery LNM, Oslo, Norway

2011

Så nære vi var, with Inga Sund Hofset, Podium, Oslo, Norway
Retrorespection, Semikolon Gallery, Oslo, Norway

2010

To the Quagmires, Gallery 21:25, Oslo, Norway

2009

You Love the Way I Look at You, One Night Only Gallery, Oslo, Norway
Ideal Worlds, with Karin Erixon, Fisk Gallery, Bergen, Norway

Selected Group Exhibitions

2026

When I’m in My Painting, Kistefosmuseet, Jevnaker, Norway (Forthcoming)

2025

The Canvas Can Do Miracles, The Contemporary Austin, Texas, USA
Ars Fennica Award 2025, HAM Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

2024

After the Sun–Forecasts from the North, Gammelstrand, Copenhagen, Danmark
Abstraction (re)creation – 20 under 40, Consortium, Dijon, France
Your Mind is Now an Ocean, Pilar Corrias Gallery, London, UK
After the Sun–Forecasts from the North, Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo, USA
Notes Towards a Shell ,Tara Downs Gallery, New York, USA

2023

The Inner Island, Villa Carmignac, Porquerolles Island, France
Interflow, Pilar Corrias Gallery, London, UK

2022

The Infinite Conversation, Beijing Biennial, Beijing, China

2021

The Hour of Reckoning, Henie Onstad Art Center, Oslo, Norway

2020

There is No Place Like Home, OSL contemporary, (NO)

2019

Wiggle Wiggle, Corridor Project Space, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tempo Tempo Tempo, Kistefos-museet, Kistefos, Norway

2018

The Moderna Exhibition 2018, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
1968|2018 LNM 50 years, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway
Entangled Tales, Rupert, Vilnius, Lithuania
Repeat.Forward, Punkt Ø, Galleri F 15, Moss, Norway

2017

Liv og virke, Norwegian Sculpture Biennial, The Vigeland Museum, Oslo, Norway
The Oslo Museum of Contemporary Art, Kunsthall Oslo, Norway

2016

Nomadic Images XVI International Vilnius Painting Triennial, Museum of Applied Arts, Vilnius, Lithuania
Roaming, UKS, Young Artists Society, Oslo, Norway
Variations in Scandinavian Abstraction Brandstrup Gallery, Oslo, Norway

2015

If it bends it’s funny, If it breaks it’s not funny. Bosse and Baum Gallery, London, Great Britain
Degree show, Royal College of Art, London, Great Britain
Conflicting Evidence, 1857, Oslo, Norway
Young Pioneers, Kunsthall Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Screen Saver, Dyson Gallery, London, Great Britain
Menneskeberget, Edvard Munch’s studio Ekely, Oslo, Norway
Kunstprisen 2015, Sandefjord Kunstforening, Sandefjord, Norway

2014

Marken vi står på, North Norwegian Artist Association, Svolvær, Norway
What Thinks Me, Taiga Art Space, St Petersburg, Russia
The Foyer Exhibition, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway
We met at the far end of the landscape and both acted shy, Grünerløkka Kunsthall, Podium, Oslo, Norway
ReadYourCall, Diane Kruse Gallery, Hamburg, Germany
WIP, Henry Moore Gallery, Royal College of Art, London, Great Britain
Secret RCA, Dyson Gallery, London, Great Britain

2013

Summer Doldrums, Residency Exhibition, Kunsthall Oslo, Norway
Det enkles potensiale, Backspace, Oslo, Norway

2012

Sellout, UKS, Young Artists Society, Oslo, Norway

2011

THE STRANGE FETE (END), MFAPS, Oslo, Norway
En vinterreise, MFAPS, Oslo, Norway
Let the lovin take ahold. Stribsendberg collection of modern art… One Night Only UKS, Oslo, Norway
The Educational Art Show, MFAPS, Oslo, Norway
If inside to get out - if outside to get in, Søylegalleriet, Oslo, Norway

2010

The Educational Art Show, MFAPS, Oslo, Norway
;akademi- PO, The National Academy of Fine Arts, Oslo, Norway
Group exhibition, Knekt Gallery, Oslo, Norway

2009

Multiples, Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo, Norway
Pool (avec), Sjokoladefabrikken, Oslo, Norway
Moonlight Starlight Sunshine, SKA, Oslo, Norway
Initiation, Gallery 21:25, Oslo, Norway

Curatorial and Other Projects

2026

Public commission, Norwegian embassy, Nairobi, Kenya

2023

Public art commission, Burlöv train station, Burlöv (Ongoing), Sweden

2020

Public art project, Holbæk Art, Holbæk, Denmark

2019

Visting lecturer, Rietveldt Academy, Amsterdam (NL) Visting lecturer, Malerskolen, Kunstakademien, Copenhagen, Denmark, Visting lecturer, Exhibition Laboratory, University of Helsinki (FI)

2018

Digital work together with Pragheeta Sharma för Triple Canopy, New York, USA
Presentation of works at Chart Art Fair, Charlottenburg, Copenhagen with OSL contemporary, Denmark

2017

Residency, Rupert, Vilnius (LT) Presentation of works Armory, New York with Downs and Ross, USA,
Visiting lecturer at Royal College of Art, London, Great Britain

2016

Visting lecturer, Fine Art, Royal College of Art, London (GB) Presentation at NADA and Dallas Art Fair with Hester, New York, USA

2015

Visiting lecturer, Glasgow School of Art, Great Britain

2014

Curator for the exhibition We met at the far end… Grünerløkka Kunsthall, Podium, Oslo, Norway

2012

Assisting curator Lære for livet, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Bærum, Norway

2011

Curator If inside to get out - if outside to get in, Holodeck, Oslo, Norway

2010

Responsible for the lecture series Open Forum, Oslo Academy of Fine Art, Norway

2009

Pool (avec), Sjokoladefabrikken, Oslo (with Ruben Steinum), Norway

Collections

X Museum, Beijing, China
Museum Susch, Switzerland
Foundation Carmignac, Paris, France
The Buffalo AKG Museum, Buffalo, USA
Ståhl Collection, Norrköping, Sweden
The George Economou Collection, Athens, Greece
TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Madrid & Vienna, Spain & Austria
Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo, Norway
Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Sandvika, Norway
Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
Malmö Konstmuseum, Malmö, Sweden
Statens Konstråd, Sweden
Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo, Norway
Kistefos-museet, Jevnaker, Norway
David Roberts Art Foundation, London, UK
HINE Cognac Collection, Jarnac, France

Ragna Bley
Ragna Bley is currently presenting at HAM Helsinki Art Museum as part of the Ars Fennica Art Prize 2025.
Ragna Bley has been nominated for the Ars Fennica Award 2025. Awarded in recognition of artistic work of excellence, it is considered to be Finland’s most prestigious visual arts prize.

The other candidates are Roland Persson, Jani Ruscica, and Hanna Vihriälä. The exhibition is open until 29.03.2026. Read more
24.10 - 29.03.26

Ragna Bley
Ragna Bley will be part of the group exhibition ‘The Canvas Can Do Miracles’ at The Contemporary Austin, curated by Alex Klein. Bley will be presenting alongside Nathan Carter, Patrick Dean Hubbell, Suzanne Jackson, and Hayal Pozanti.

“The Canvas Can Do Miracles presents an intergenerational group of artists who share a commitment to abstraction unbound by formalism and embody an artistic ethos rooted in alchemy, process, and resistance. The exhibition foregrounds their diverse painterly strategies, which draw on varied touchstones ranging from the natural world, Indigenous symbologies, and underground ecosystems. For these artists, the canvas is both a material and a coded space for networked communication, transformation, and metaphysical inquiry.” - The Contemporary Austin Read more [Image: Ragna Bley, Inter-waver, 2016]
12.09 - 11.01.26