Skip to main content

Javier Calleja

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.

  • Biography

    read or download

Selected artworks

  • Javier Calleja, Be Sweet, 2023

    Javier Calleja Be Sweet, 2023

    Acrylic on canvas
    195 x 162 cm
    77 x 64 in

  • Javier Calleja, London boy, 2023

    Javier Calleja London boy, 2023

    Acrylic on canvas
    80 x 65 cm
    31 1/2 x 25 1/2 in

  • Javier Calleja, Best wishes to you, 2022

    Javier Calleja Best wishes to you, 2022

    Acrylic on canvas, oak frame and museum glass
    138 × 98 cm
    54 3/8 × 38 5/8 in

  • Javier Calleja, This Is Your Lucky Day, 2022

    Javier Calleja This Is Your Lucky Day, 2022

    Acrylic on canvas
    195 x 162 cm
    256 × 223 × 14 cm (framed)
    77 x 64 in
    100 3/4 × 87 3/4 × 5 1/2 in (framed)

  • Javier Calleja, No worries, 2022

    Javier Calleja No worries, 2022

    Acrylic on canvas
    100 × 80 cm
    39 3/8 × 31 1/2 in

  • Javier Calleja, Take me on, 2021

    Javier Calleja Take me on, 2021

    Acrylic on canvas
    116 x 100 cm
    45 1/2 x 39 1/2 in

Gallery exhibitions

Museum exhibitions

Selected press

Explore further