Bakerhouse Gallery
Graz / Berlin

Javier Calleja

Javier Calleja became known in the art world for his figurative works, which often feature squat, wide-eyed figures with exaggerated proportions.
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Biography

Javier Calleja was born in Málaga in 1971 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in art from the University of Granada in 2000. Before completing his artistic training at the age of 31, he trained as a gymnastics athlete for the Olympic Games. Calleja's work seems to have a simple aesthetic, but he creates surprising and humorous works of art through clever alterations of everyday events. In his paintings, drawings and sculptures, he uses the aesthetic conventions of comics and children's book illustrations in his search for simplicity and immediacy.

In addition to comics, Pop Art and Surrealism also influence the work of Javier Calleja. The artist invites the viewer to become part of the playful scenes and interact by participating in his ironies or reacting to the disproportionate sizes that evoke the worlds of Alice.