A World of Wit Created with Iconic "BIG EYE" and Text

Born in Malaga in 1971, the city famous as Picasso's birthplace, Javier Calleja continues to work from Malaga today. His art is filled with tricks that bring surprise and humor by adding subtle twists to various everyday occurrences.

Calleja, who cites René Magritte as an influence, attempts to reinterpret contemporary portraiture while referencing his techniques. The narrative elements, which viewers discover on their own, are one of the traps Calleja sets within his works. Faced with Calleja's art, viewers will eventually realize that their own psyche and subjectivity are reflected there.

Furthermore, having grown up familiar with Japanese manga and animation since childhood, Calleja's style of emphasizing his depicted figures in a character-like manner was naturally acquired. His experience supporting Yoshitomo Nara's solo exhibition at the Malaga Museum of Contemporary Art in 2007 also greatly influenced his growth as an artist. Techniques such as incorporating text into the canvas to elevate figures into more witty characters can be seen as a style learned from Yoshitomo Nara.

The "BIG EYE" motif, now considered a key characteristic when discussing Japanese manga and anime, has roots in expressions introduced from Western countries like Portugal after the late Edo period. The historical process by which Japanese aesthetics were expressed through "large eyes" alongside the development of manga, in the pursuit of more Westernized forms, is a fascinating case study.

The dynamic of Calleja's art, created in Spain, influencing Japanese expressions and then being re-imported, perfectly symbolizes the current global art scene. This exhibition will feature over a dozen canvas paintings, as well as installations combining drawings and murals, and life-sized sculptures, presented in an exhibition design that invites viewers to be participants rather than mere observers.

Javier Calleja: Do Not Touch

Dates: Saturday, November 24 – Saturday, December 22, 2018
Venue: NANZUKA
Address: Shibuya IBIS Bldg. B2F, 2-17-3 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 – 19:00 (Closed Mondays, Sundays, and public holidays)

*An opening party, open to the public, will be held on November 23 (holiday) from 18:00 to 20:00.