Javier Calleja

Javier Calleja is a Spanish artist living and working in Malaga, Spain. Known for his signature style portraits with wide-eyed, almost doll-like characters, his darkly humorous paintings have an alluring simplicity and an emotional force.

Referencing Japanese anime, Surrealism and Pop art, his constant strand of irony underpins his oeuvre, bringing a subtle sense of magic to his work. Author of installations and mural paintings in which he plays with the idea of artwork within the artwork, Calleja invites the viewer to form part of playful scenes, to relate to his cubic-headed characters that evoke the worlds of both children and adults.