“There is a saying... it goes like, "everything is more important than art, but with art, you can speak about important things." So with these simple characters, only a pair of eyes and one T-shirt, I can talk about everything.”
—— Javier Calleja
Provenance
Galerie Zink, Waldkirchen Private Collection, China Acquired from the above by the present owner
Javier Calleja (b. 1971) is a contemporary Spanish artist living and working in
Malaga, Spain. Calleja is most known for his figurative style of cartoonish, doe-eyed
characters with exaggerated features. His style is influenced by the toys and comics
from his 70s and 80s upbringing. Calleja’s characters are often accompanied by text
that contrasts the innocent and adolescent looking facial expressions of the
characters represented in the compositions. Calleja works in painting, sculpture,
and works on paper.
Calleja holds a BFA from Granada University in Spain. His works have been exhibited worldwide and he is currently represented by Almine Rech.