Javier Calleja's big-eyed characters come to Paris for a free exhibition.

At Javier Calleja's work, the figures have enormous eyes, rosy cheeks, and the look of knowing something we don’t. From May 30 to July 25, 2026, the Spanish artist presents CURIOUSLY at the Almine Rech Gallery Paris, Turenne, in the Marais. It marks his sixth solo show with the gallery.

Born in 1971 in Málaga, Spain, Calleja is renowned for drawings, paintings, sculptures, and installations populated by figures often hovering between childhood and adolescence. They meet the visitor’s gaze squarely, with a blend of innocence, irony, and a hint of melancholy that defines his entire universe.

The free exhibition features a new body of work. Here you’ll find Calleja’s signature figures, but a touch less polished than before: the eyes stretch, the faces distort slightly, and some heads become a bit more angular. The characters move away from the cartoon’s perfect roundness to command greater presence.

And they don’t just stare you down. They speak as well. On the T-shirts, in speech bubbles, or around the figures, short phrases appear: "Take my Hand", "Me First", "It’s my decision", "Your opinion" or "There is no cure for curiosity". short, direct messages that set up a face-to-face with the visitor.

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Javier Calleja's universe is born in part from cartoons and comics. He points to Mazinger Z and the comics of Francisco Ibáñez Talavera, which he read as a child. One might also think of Yoshitomo Nara, for these faux-naïve characters who look at the world with more intensity than it seems.

The display was conceived by the artist with the cabinet of curiosities in mind. The works respond to one another, eyes accumulate, slogans cross paths. The visitor moves through a colorful universe, very legible at first glance, but not so innocent.

Behind the apparent simplicity of the large eyes and bold colors, the exhibition broaches topics that are more delicate: identity, rights, how we relate to others, and the construction of self. Calleja’s characters look cute from a distance; up close, they pose more questions than they answer.