Javier Calleja Curiously

Almine Rech Paris, Turenne is pleased to announce 'Curiously', Javier Calleja's sixth solo exhibition with the gallery, on view from May 30 to July 25, 2026.

Javier Calleja brings joy and a sense of play to his work, grounded in his formal mastery of painting. The Spanish artist's work features idiosyncratic characters, children, and sometimes animals, identifiable by their wide, emotive eyes. While their expressions vary, these plucky figures seem ready to confront the world, even a world that scares them. Sometimes sweet, sometimes mischievous, they bring to mind memories of emotions, and moods we have all experienced. Short phrases reoccur across the works, written on t-shirts, or scrawled across the background. These messages deepen the works, proposing a narrative, developing the backstory of each character.

The new body of work featured in this exhibition will continue to build Calleja's unique visual vocabulary. As spring and summer arrive in Paris, these bright and energetic works will reflect back the vibrancy of the season.

— A press release by Eric Troncy, art critic, curator, and co-director of Consortium Museum in Dijon, will follow.