Javier Calleja
Born in Spain, 1971. Lives and works in Spain.
A self-professed artist, Calleja’s works are filled with a diverse array of twists and interventions that mirror daily life. As a fan of the works of surrealist master René Magritte, as well as artists Yoshitomo Nara and Chris Johanson, he references their techniques in the context of contemporary portraiture. Still children or not quite teenagers, his signature characters with gigantic, brightly colored eyes confront life head-on, sometimes with tenderness, sometimes with a casual rebelliousness, and always with a keen sense of humor or touch of irony. These endearing characters with their often delusional hopes and desires might look helpless but never seem to give up.
The narratives perceived from the correlation between the images and texts, as well as the explosive interplay of scale between the piece itself and the installation it is situated in, are ingenious ploys on part of the artist. Thanks to this almost hallucinatory distortion, each one of his exhibitions feels like diving into nonsense, harkening back to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
Calleja’s work continues fascinate viewers even in the current world in the midst of global issues. One might empathise for the artist and his attempt to confront difficulties through his sharp-witted creativity, along with his optimism.
1971 年出生於西班牙。現於西班牙生活和工作。
Calleja 是透過自學走進藝術，他的作品總是充滿日常生活中的曲折離奇。作為超現實主義大師雷內·馬格利特(René Magritte) 以及當代藝術家奈良美智和克里斯·約翰遜 (Chris Johanson) 作品的支持者，他在當代肖像畫中引用了他們的技術。畫作中看似童稚的人物色彩鮮明的大眼睛，眼神時而細膩、時而有一絲俏皮，以幽默感笑看世界。這些富七情六慾的人物置身塵世雖然有點孤獨，但他們總是永不放棄。
作品以圖像和文字之間的關聯讓觀者自行參透的敘事手法，以及畫作與其裝置之間大小對比帶來的震撼，都是藝術家別出心裁的巧思。 Calleja每個展覽都猶如走進《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》般，是一個個奇妙且扭曲的幻想空間。
綜然各種全球性問題籠罩當今世界，Calleja的作品仍然絲絲入扣。 藝術家以洞見與創造力迎難而上，同時笑看風雲，不禁令人產生由衷的共鳴。
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2023
Chim Pum | AISHONANZUKA | Hong Kong
Still on time | Almine Rech | London, UK
MR.GÜNTER, THE CAT SHOW | Centro Cultural Fundación Unicaja de Málaga | Malaga, Spain2022
This Is Your Lucky Day | Almine Rech | Paris, France
MR.GÜNTER, THE CAT SHOW | CICA Vancouver | Vancouver, Canada
MR.GÜNTER, THE CAT SHOW | PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO | Tokyo, Japan2021
Open Your Eyes | Nanzuka Underground | Tokyo, Japan
Almine Rech Shanghai | Almine Rech | Shanghai, China
If I told you… | Rafael Pérez Hernando Arte Contemporáneo | Madrid, Spain
Drop By Drop | Dio Horia | Athens, Greece2020
No Art Here | Sushi Saito 3110NZ by LHD Kitchen | Tokyo, Japan
No Art Here | 2G PARCO | Tokyo, Japan
Little Maurizio | K11 MUSEA | Hong Kong
Sooner or Later | Bill Brady | Miami, FL2019
I Did, I Do, I Will Do | AISHONSANZUKA | Hong Kong
Those Little things | Dio Horia | Mykonos, Greece
Clouds through the window | Galerie Zink | Waldkirchen, Germany2018
Do not touch | Nanzuka | Tokyo, Japan
F*ck You n Bear | Nanzuka EchoOne | Bangkok, Thailand
Fake is the future | Galerie Zink | Hamburg, Germany
I hope you don’t mind | Yusto/Giner Gallery | Marbella, Spain2017
Hi | AISHONANZUKA | Hong Kong
Art on Paper Fair | Galerie Zink | Brussels, Belgium2016
Few things | Galería Rafael Pérez Hernando | Madrid, Spain
No cartoons tonight | Art on paper Fair | Castor Galler | New York, NY2015
Fast food | Galerie Zink | Waldkirchen, Germany
Finally together | Centro de Arte de Alcobendas | Madrid, Spain
No art here | Castor Gallery | New York, NY
Broken white | Galería Yusto/Giner | Marbella, Spain2014
Javier Calleja | Galerie Zink | Waldkirchen, Germany
Historia de dos para un final imposible | Galería Rafael Pérez Hernando | Madrid, Spain2013
Alimentación científica de las gallinas | Beca Vazquez Díaz, Museo de Huelva | Spain2012
What a beautiful pink day | Galeria Louis 21 | Palma de Mallorca, Spain
This is not my universe | Fondation Suisse | Paris, France2010
El fin del mundo | Galería Alfredo Viñas | Malaga, Spain
Cuatro Paredes | CAB de Burgos | Spain2009
Sweet Home | Galería Rafael Pérez Hernando | Madrid, Spain2008
Play Room | CAC Málaga. Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Malaga | Spain2006
El Coleccionista | Sala Moreno Villa | Malaga, Spain2005
Hommo ludens, hommo invadens | Palacio de los Condes de Gabia, Diputación de Granada, Spain -
2024
Winter Selection | Atelier Aki | Seoul, South Korea2023
Winter Tale | Maddox Gallery | London, UK
Summer’s Palette | Corridor Gallery | Tel Aviv, Israel
L'Almanach 23 | Le Consortium | Dijon, France
Sculptures & Multiples | Lougher Contemporary | Bristol, UK
PLAYGROUND | Sohle Abghari | Marbella, Spain
Art Toys | Lot 180 Gallery | New York, NY
New In for the New Year | Lougher Contemporary | Bristol, UK2022
For TZ | Nanzuka Underground | Tokyo, Japan
Sublime Bodies | AISHONANZUKA | Hong Kong
Wonderwalls: Street Art & Designer Toys | NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft | Düsseldorf, Germany
Kawaii | Maddox Gallery | London, UK
Global Contemporary Art Show | One Gallery | New York, NY
Winter Group Show | Rosenfeld Gallery | Miami, FL
The Holiday Collection: Giftable Objects | Lougher Contemporary | Bristol, UK
All Treats, No Tricks! | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL
Iconic Edition | Lorin Gallery | Los Angeles
"PE" Prints & Editions | Leonards Art | London, UK
After Hope | Dio Horia | Athens, Greece
Worldwide Contemporary Art | 3 White Dots | Hong Kong2021
Salon de Peinture | Almine Rech | New York, NY
Si yo te contara ... | Galería Rafael Pérez Hernando | Madrid, Spain
Editions and Multiples | Lougher Contemporary | Bristol, UK
Mickey Mouse Now and Future | PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO | Tokyo, Japan
FIAC & FIAC Hors Les Murs | Grand Palais Ephemere (Champ-de-Mars, Paris) | Paris, France2020
Colectiva 15 años | Galería RPH | Madrid, Spain
Global Pop Underground | PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO | Tokyo, Japan
Friends non show | Dio Horia Art Gallery | Athens, Greece
FIGURATIVE ∙ STILL-LIFE ∙ OBJECTIVITY | Rosenfeld Gallery | Miami, FL
Portraits: 1962 - 2017 | PULPO GALLERY | Murnau am Staffelsee, Germany
MR+ | Gin Huang Gallery | Taipei, Taiwan
ART ON PAPER | Gin Huang Gallery | Taipei, Taiwan2019
Seis personajes en busca de autor | Salas Mingorance del Archivo Municipal de Malaga | Spain
MSD_Make something different | CAC Vélez Malaga | Spain
MSD_Make something different | Centro Municipal de Exposiciones (Antiguo Mercado de Mayoristas) | Malaga, Spain
Mother and Child | Dorothy Circus Gallery | Rome, Italy & London, UK2017
The Veterans | Dio Horia | Mykonos, Greece
Estilitas. [La extraña comunidad de la columna] | Galería Rafael Perez Hernando | Madrid, Spain2015
Guiones para Gulliver | MAD. Antequera | Malaga, Spain
Dibujo expandido | Colección DKV, Museo ABC | Madrid, Spain
El Rumor de la montaña | Sala Fundación Cruzcampo | Malaga, Spain
Lenguajes en papel VI | Galería Fernando Pradilla | Madrid, Spain2013
Lo parcial como significativo | Colección Caja de Burgos-CaixaBank, Centro de arte de Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain Nunca jamás. Historias de niños para adultos, Fundación Madariaga | Seville, Spain
Km 0' | Galería Yusto Giner | Marbella, Spain2012
Neighbours | CAC Málaga | Malaga, Spain2011
Espacio Atlántico | Galería Rafael Pérez Hernando | Vigo, Spain
GRAFIKA. 30 Artistas de la España Joven | Exposición Itinerante, Instituto Cervantes y Contemporánea | Beirut, Lebanon & Ammán, Jordan2010
El hombre sin alternativa | Puerto de las artes 2010, Museo de Huelva, Spain2007
Geografías del Agua | exposición itinerante | Antequera, Sevilla, Granada, Almería, Córdoba, Malaga, Spain
Nouvelle Poubelle | Palacio de la Aduana | Malaga, Spain
Plásticamente | Ateneo, Malaga, Spain2006
The Paintball Show | Kidrobot |New York, NY2002
Arte más joven | Instituto Andaluz de la Juventud (IAJ) | Almería, Jaén & Sevilla, Spain
IAJ. Granada, Spain -
2017
Imagen and poster of 20 edition Festival de Málaga. Cine en Español (Malaga Film Festival)
2014
DKV Prize | Best Spanish artist | SWAB 2014
Idea Art Marset Prize | SWAB 20142010
Beca Vázquez Díaz,Diputación de Huelva, Huelva, Spain2001
Pepe Espaliú Prize | IAJ. Cordoba | España. -
Banco Sabadell Collection | France
Diputación de Málaga | Spain
DKV Collection | Spain
Marset Collection
CAB de Burgos | Spain
CAC Málaga | Spain
Unicaja Collection | Spain
Junta de Andalucía, IAJ | Spain
Granada University | Spain
Long Museum | China
He Art Museum | China
Powerlong Museum | China
K 11 Art Foundation | Hong Kong
Sifang Art Museum | China
Chen Art Foundation | Taiwan
Cc Foundation Shanghai | China
X Museum | China
Xiao Museum of Contemporary Art | China
Previous Exhibitions
