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    “Mr. Günter, The Cat Show” exhibition by Javier Calleja in Tokyo, Japan

    After passing through Almine Rech Paris with “This Is Your Lucky Day” and his recent collaboration with Hypebeans, the prestigious coffee shops in Hong Kong and Seoul, on June 25 Javier Calleja arrived in Tokyo to inaugurate a new solo exhibition curated by Nanzuka, “Mr. Günter, The Cat Show”.Conceived as an installation, the exhibition features Günter Gambita, Javier Calleja and Alicia Gutiérrez’s cat. With a mischievous gaze Günter freely “walks” through the Parco Museum to make himself present in every corner of his owner’s exhibition. At the same time, he seems to become the perfect “host” to make way for a selection of works that include new sketches, paintings, and a large wooden sculpture, never before exhibited in Japan.In addition, welcoming the visitors, a large sculpture of the feline has been installed on the street that gives access to Parco Museum. “I am delighted to present this important member of our family in Japan”, the artist stated about this presentation. Javier Calleja’s work is characterised by his ability to imprint surprise and touches on humor in everyday aspects of our daily lives. A recognised admirer of the surrealism master René Magritte, as well as such artists as Yoshitomo Nara or Chris Johanson, Calleja has been able to masterfully incorporate his techniques into contemporary portraiture until finding his own hallmark through his large eye characters.The game that he establishes between colours or scales and the expressions of his characters or the texts that accompany the works, is one of the more distinct qualities of Calleja’s practice. It is this ability to face difficulties through insightful creativity as well as his premise to face any vital aspect with positivity, that feeds the contagious fascination and empathy generated through his work.Check out below for more photos of “Mr. Günter, The Cat Show” More

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    “The Vault” Collection by Vans x Javier Calleja

    “For me, drawing on paper is the best! With drawings, you can go to the end of the world and back on the same day,” Javier Calleja poetically underlines the importance of this rudimentary technique to his creative process. Globally recognised for his character-based paintings, sculptures, and figures, Malaga-based artist always goes back to the very essence of his artistic practice and his collaboration with VANS is one of such efforts.Throughout his career, Calleja has been regularly experimenting with techniques, materials, and scales, continuously curious about finding fresh ways to implement his visions into new surroundings. With an ongoing interest in urban fashion as well as driven about making his art more approachable and seen, his VANS capsule was an intuitive continuation of his exploration. For this project, he designed patterns for some of his personal favourite sneakers and footwear fusing the brand’s iconic designs with his iconic visuals.Using the OG collection as the blank canvas, the artists applied his big-eyed characters and textual elements, facilitating the new sphere for them to exist in and communicate with the world. “For me, the audience is as important as the art and I feel like the painting without people, is nothing,” Calleja concludes, revealing the necessity for such projects for him and hiswork.The Vault by Vans x Javier Calleja collection will be available beginning February 5, 2022, at select Vault by Vans retailers. For more information, and where to purchase, please visit The Drop List, a calendar of Vans’ most exclusive product drops.Check out below for more photos of the collaboration. More

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    “Open Your Eyes” by Javier Calleja at Nanzuka Underground in Tokyo, Japan

    On November 14th 2021 will be opening an exhibition of  new works at NANZUKA UNDERGROUND (Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo).  “Open Your Eyes” marks the artist’s third solo presentation in Japan following his 2018 show “Do Not Touch” (at the former gallery space of NANZUKA UNDERGROUND), and “No Art Here” held concurrently at the two venues of NANZUKA 2G and 3110NZ last year. Calleja’s works are filled with a diverse array of twists and interventions that bring surprise and humor to various events within daily life. Expressing a fondness for the works of René Magritte, the Malaga-based artist references the techniques of the surrealist master in the context of contemporary portraiture, depicting the present-day sitters through his characteristic appropriation of the “BIG EYE.” The changes in color and shifts in scene, as well as the relationship between the facial expressions of his subjects and the texts that accompany them, are aspects that the artist particularly pays close attention to in his work. Furthermore, the overall softness of the setting as well as the play with composition are emphasised further in this body of work, alluring the viewer’s eye towards the narratives suggested by the aforementioned key elements of the work. Continuously confronting life’s difficulties through his sharp-witted creativity and determined to perceive every aspect of life in a positive manner, the new works are becoming that much more relevant in the context of the ongoing global pandemic. Open Your Eyes can indeed be interpreted as a warning against the current state of our world that is becoming more closed and exclusive, and at the same time it is a phrase that appears to present each one of us with the incentive to recognize our own dignity. Highly approachable and could be described as “friendly words of wisdom,” Calleja’s works are permeated with a strong and warm sense of energy that brings encouragement in these difficult times. As we engage with his work and the sheer magnitude of their all-embracing nature, the artist hopes that the viewer becomes aware of their true self.  The exhibition consists entirely of new works. Along with two large three-dimensional works presented inside and outside the gallery, a selection of paintings on canvas and drawings will also be showcased on this occasion. Open Your Eyes will run until 26th of December 2021. More

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    “Drop By Drop” Solo Exhibition by Javier Calleja in Athens, Greece

    Back with Dio Horia gallery two years after his solo introduction in Greece, Javier Calleja will be presenting his Athens debut through the month of July 2021. Borrowing the title from an expression that stands for slow and steady yet unstoppable progress, Drop By Drop continues the artist’s subtle but focused and persistent development of his practice. Tirelessly moving through the art world “step by step” and consistently making connections between his humble beginnings and the recent successes Calleja’s newest presentation includes a couple of poetic bridges between the past and the present. Showing exclusively works on paper, namely 10 drawings, the exhibition once again utilizes his love for this most sincere of mediums as well as for the play with scale. By contrasting 5 small-scale drawings against 5 otherworldly, blown-up, big-scale ones, Malagan artist once again puts the viewer as the center point of the installation. Experiencing the works in a black space of the gallery, the observer becomes a steady reference point surrounded with works of shifting scales. Simultaneously, the artist reintroduces the use of typography in his work, evoking the book aesthetics and suggesting the existence of a bigger story around the individual, imaginary page. “It’s like taking a different path to arrive at the same place,” the artist explains.The reintroduction of some older concepts is accompanied by new traits of the big eyed subjects. The new haircuts, depiction of dynamic movements, or use of a  refined approach to create the volume as well as light and play effect, are all mimicking the life dynamics within his practice. “It’s like taking a different path to arrive at the same place,” the artist explains, revealing the poetry behind these appealing visuals. And such a poetic approach to referencing reality infuses the continuous development of Calleja’s universe. From iconic characters, over their natural surroundings, its fauna (also referencing the previous presentation with the gallery), all the way to the ambiance set by the textual elements in the work. Purposely bleak, tragi-comic, or even nonsensical, and in stark contrast with aforementioned invigorated visuals, these simple yet intriguing quotes are meant to spark the magic of imagination. Once again putting the viewer in a fictitious spotlight, the combination of the two elements constructs a tension that opens doors for a multitude of readings of both the individual pieces and the body of work as a whole. “Drop By Drop” will be on display for the whole month of July at Dio Horia Gallery, Athens, Greece.  More

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    Coverage: “NO ART HERE” by Javier Calleja at Nanzuka 2G at PARCO & 3110NZ by LDH Kitchen, Tokyo, Japan

    Two years after his solo debut with NANZUKA, Javier Calleja is back to Japanese capital for another solo exhibition which will be presented on 2 locations – at NANZUKA 2G space at PARCO in Shibuya, and at transforming gallery space 3110NZ in collaboration with Sushi Saito.b-sm = 300×250; sm > none; Calleja produces work that brings surprise and… More