Kleiva was born on 1 April 1933 in
Torsken Municipality to schoolteacher Ivar Kleiva (1903–98) and Frida Pettersen (1905–63). From 1961 to 1965 he was an assistant to visual artist
Sigurd Winge (1909–1970). He made his debut at the
Autumn Exhibition at Oslo in 1963. From 1987 to 1993 he was appointed professor at the
Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts. His works are represented in the
National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, the
Henie Onstad Art Center and the
Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum. ==References==