Javier Calleja

JAVIER CALLEJA (Málaga, 1971).
"Between the lines", 2016.
Silkscreen on paper. Exemplary P.T 1/5.
Work framed with museum glass.
Signed and justified.
Measurements: 40 x 30 cm; 51,5 x 41,5 cm (frame).
Javier Calleja's work is part of a contemporary visual language characterized by its formal simplicity that coexists with a certain emotional charge. His characters, reduced to their minimum expression, invite us to reflect on the human condition and the search for identity in an increasingly complex world. In the piece, we observe a clear example of the minimalist aesthetic that defines Calleja's work. The figure of the character, with his large eyes and small limbs, contrasts with the amplitude of the white space that surrounds him. This visual void is not accidental, but plays a fundamental role in the construction of the work's meaning. By isolating the character from his context, the artist turns him into a universal archetype, capable of evoking a wide range of emotions in the viewer.
Javier Calleja is an artist from Málaga, artistically trained at the University of Granada, where he graduated in Fine Arts in 2000. Since the beginning of his artistic career his works have attracted the attention of critics and the public, thus becoming one of the most sought after artists nationally and internationally. He held his first exhibition in 2002, participating in the group show Arte más joven, "Instituto Andaluz de la Juventud (IAJ)" Almeria, Jaen and Seville, Spain IAJ Granada, and only a year later (2003) held his first solo exhibition entitled "Recuperar la mirada", Carmen de la Victoria, University of Granada. These exhibitions were followed by many others, both nationally and internationally, highlighting among them; 'Play room' held at CAC Málaga, held in 2008, Fast food, at Galerie Zink, Germany (2015), No cartoons tonight, Art on paper Fair (solo project), at Castor Gallery, New York (2016), Do not touch, at Nanzuka Gallery, Tokyo (2018), F*ck You, Nanzuka EchoOne, Nanzuka Gallery, in Bangkok (2018), Javier Calleja, Solo exhibition, at Aisho/Nanzuka, Hong Kong (2019) and Those Little things, Artist residency, Dio Horia, in Mykonos. In addition, Calleja, has participated in several of the most important fairs in Spain, such as; ARCO (2020), Estampa (2019) and Urbanity Art (2020). His work has been acquired by numerous private collectors, and also by relevant institutions such as Banco Sabadell, the Diputación de Málaga, DKV Collection, Marset Collection, the CAB of Burgos, the CAC of Málaga, Unicaja, the Junta de Andalucía and the University of Granada. It should be noted that during the COVID, Calleja offered for sale several figures known with Art toy, in order to donate the proceeds to those affected by the pandemic. Calleja's work is characterized by a naive language, which receives some influence of surrealist and pop character. In it one can appreciate the interest in the childish presence, accompanied in many of the occasions by text. This characteristic invites the viewer to reflect on the images she proposes, delving into a conceptual meaning that goes beyond the obvious. At first his works focused on installation and mural painting, although he also works in other smaller formats such as sculpture and drawing.