Javier Calleja (1971) - Mr. Günter

Forbidden Colours Charity Auction Lot number 14
CALLEJA, Javier (Spanish, b.1971)
"Mr. Günter"
2023
PVC and glass
Edition of 1000, unnumbered and not commercialized

13,5 x 14 x 12 cm (artwork) - 22 x 18,5 x 15,5 (box) - 670 gr (box included)

Gift from the artist and Almine Rech Gallery

Javier Calleja, born in 1971 and based in Málaga, Spain, is a contemporary artist known for his distinctive visual language spanning drawing, painting, sculpture and installation. Throughout his career he has explored scale, perspective and spatial play, often creating presentations that deceive or surprise the viewer. His installations range from the minuscule to the monumental, turning the act of perception itself into a core component of his work.

Calleja’s now-iconic big-eyed characters began as visual translations of his own emotions and personal experiences. Over time, these figures have evolved from simple drawings into paintings, sculptures and collectible objects, becoming the unmistakable signature of his artistic universe. Nearly always depicting a boy in the transitional stage between childhood and adolescence, these characters—with their oversized, watery eyes and faint red blush—embody a quiet emotional resilience. They appear as small heroes who have just endured something painful and are on the verge of smiling again, capturing a delicate balance between vulnerability and optimism.

Calleja has recently presented solo exhibitions at the Seoul Arts Center in 2024, the Fundación Unicaja Cultural Center in Málaga in 2023, and Parco Museum in Tokyo in 2022, alongside group exhibitions at institutions such as CICA Museum in Vancouver in 2024 and the Consortium Museum in Dijon in 2022. His works are held in numerous museum collections, including CAB Burgos, CAC Málaga, the Unicaja Collection, Junta de Andalucía (IAJ) in Spain, as well as the Long Museum, He Art Museum, Powerlong Museum, K11 Art Foundation, Sifang Art Museum and X Museum in China, among others.

26 contemporary artworks are presented thanks to the generosity of artists, galleries and collectors who support this solidarity sale.
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