Every character is a little bit of a self-portrait. So it's me in each one a little bit. My mom asked me: "Javi, you can paint girls. Why don't you paint girls?" I say, "Because I'm not a girl. Every one of these is me." - Javier Calleja

Javier Calleja was born in Malaga, a city in the south of Spain, in 1971. Before becoming an artist, he was a training athlete for Olympic gymnastics competitions. He graduated from the Fine Arts department of the University of Granada in 2000 and began his artistic career. Calleja worked at the Nara Yoshitomo exhibition was held at the Contemporary Art Center in Malaga, which deeply attracted him. His style of combining text and image that he later developed can be seen as influenced by Yoshitomo Nara. In addition, heavily influenced by Japanese anime since childhood, Javier Calleja incorporated the "big-eyed" element into his works. He held his first solo exhibition in Spain in 2003 and subsequently exhibited in various parts of the world such as Paris, Waldkichen, Hamburg, and New York. Starting in 2017, he began to hold gallery exhibitions in Hong Kong and Tokyo, and in 2019, he held his first solo exhibition in Greece. The continuous invitations to exhibit around the world since then, have made him one of the most popular contemporary artists.

The big-eyed boys in Calleja's artwork can be seen as a reflection of himself. With the simplest visual language: a pair of eyes, a slogan T-shirt narrating a story, he allows the picture to naturally communicate with the viewers and embodies his desire to use art to convey important messages. The watery big eyes are clear and transparent, just like a child who stops crying, representing their ability to overcome current difficulties and continue moving forward, forging themselves into strong inner heroes. Along with the slogans "Don't cry", "never too late", and "here and now", Calleja also leaves a large blank space in the painting for the audience to imagine and interpret the story from their own perspective. Calleja constantly brings new ideas into his exhibitions, on the one hand, to continuously surpass himself, and on the other hand, to complement the presentation of art with the viewers' feelings. Without the viewers, art that is self-indulgent would lose its original intention of "communication." The public first learned of Calleja mostly through the limited edition sculpture piece "Missing The Blue Sky", a cute and vibrant figure with a pair of big eyes. The image illustrates how the character leads the brush in Calleja's creative process while every detail conveys the state of the artist's mind in the moment as it extends the theme of the work. He brings brand-new large sculptures and canvas pieces, as well as a series of drawings to the exhibition. His works transcend traditional art media, breaking the boundaries between drawing and installation to add subtle twists to images in everyday life.

In Javier Calleja's works, the eyes in the darkness are the initial source of inspiration, peeking carefully through the paper seams to observe their surroundings. The cover of the "Select: Modern & Contemporary Art". "With a Bite of Luck" was created in 2017, featuring a young boy wearing a bright yellow T-shirt with an innocent expression, serving as an encouragement for life. Javier Calleja creates the character image of Pop Art Style: rosy cheeks but with enlarged eyes displaying a puzzled expression, and shiny golden eyes that resemble transparent amber gems. The rosy nose and two big front teeth complete the joyful and carefree smile. The text on the T-shirt, "With a Bite of Luck," not only summarizes his creative state but also reflects his flat cartoon style, a balance he found between cartoon, realism, and abstraction that makes his works unique

The layout of the boy's straw-like hair contrasts with his delicate face, bringing a smile to the viewer's face with its humor. The humor is not only vivid and interesting but also cleverly exemplifies his artistic vision, naturally integrating into everyday life and deeply rooted in people's hearts. Afterward, these "big-eyed" characters slowly emerged from the darkness, each with their own unique form. The "big eyes" are a classic symbol of Japanese anime characters, which have now been reinterpreted by this Spanish artist. Javier Calleja is undoubtedly one of the most successful contemporary Spanish artists, whose imaginative and playful style has made him just as culturally pervasive as KAWS. His whimsical style is often compared to that of artists such as Keith Haring and Basquiat. He blends elements of Pop Art, minimalism, and surrealism to establish his own distinctive style and influence.

In April-May 2002, Calleja participated in a group exhibition at the CICA Vancouver International Contemporary Art Center, alongside artists such as George Condo and Rashid Johnson. Later that same year, in October-November, he held a solo exhibition at the same center featuring his Mr. Günter theme series, inspired by his pet cat. Calleja injects his works with humor and creativity, imbuing them with a subdued yet sincere power that promotes positivity and healing. This style has become even more precious in the aftermath of the pandemic.