Spanish | Pop Art , Surrealism, Comic

b. 1971

Javier Calleja is a Spanish artist born in Malaga. His drawings, paintings and installations present figurative universe infused with ingenuity. Acid and optimist, big and small, obvious or cryptic, infantile or adult, the work of Javier Calleja develops from contrasts.

His artwork, distinguished by distortions of scale, displays a particular world indebted to the child reader of comics. Influenced by comics, pop art and a surrealism of Magritte, Calleja invites the viewer to be a part of playful scene, to relate to his cubic-headed characters and to interact by participating in his ironies.

During his exhibit in Asia in 2017, Calleja combined a playful approach in creating installations and light-hearted imagery that won the hearts of the local art aficionados, turning his Hong Kong debut into a retreat from the rest of the art world. The irresistible charm of his creations makes him one of the most desired and collectible artists of our time.

The artist lives and works in Málaga, Spain.