In surreal canvases populated with instantly recognizable forms, Bjorn Calleja goes deeper into his work’s energy and the mantras behind it
I once overheard a gallerist say that the collectors who gravitate towards Bjorn Calleja’s art are, to quote, ‘hot and seriously on another level.’ And honestly, it tracks. Calleja’s paintings, with their wild mix of distorted humanoid figures, inhuman flora, and bulbous, slightly freaky eyes, are the kind of topsy-turvy tableaus you’d expect only the coolest people to appreciate. His canvases, ranging in scale, are always packed with tiny humanoid figures sprinkled like confetti across neon backgrounds, often layered with spray paint. It’s chaotic, colorful, and undeniably magnetic—just like the crowd it attracts.
Born in 1981, Calleja’s foray into art began in college while studying advertising at Far Eastern University. He found early success in national painting competitions, like Shell’s National Students Art Competition and the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence program.
Becoming a finalist in the Shell competition in 2001 sparked his interest in pursuing art seriously. Encouraged by his professors, he entered the competition on a student budget, using kerosene instead of oil and his hands instead of a paintbrush. He became a finalist.
After graduating, he exhibited his works in small group shows with schoolmates Allan Balisi, Dexter Sy, and Jigger Cruz, showcasing their art in bars and schools. During a time when the art market wasn’t as strong, Calleja worked corporate jobs in IT and design for about a decade while still painting on the side.
Since then, Callejas has participated in multiple group exhibitions and art fairs abroad, including in Japan, Singapore, and the US, to name a few. And he is now presenting his first solo exhibition in Europe titled “Ghetto Etherico” from Oct. 18 to Nov. 21, 2024, at Studio 11 Gallery in Rome.
But things weren’t always smooth sailing for the artist.
A look into the artist’s evolution
Calleja reflects on his early years of experimentation, “For some time, I was jumping from one material, one technique, and one style, to another… Siguro ’yun ’yung learning process ko. Feeling ko nag-full circle siya. Kasi lahat ng natutunan ko bumalik sila ngayon at natutunan ko mag-accept.”
After years of dabbling in various styles and techniques, he found a way to harmonize these diverse influences into cohesive compositions. “I found a way to make it work,” he explains.
Calleja’s work often draws heavily from art history, giving it a timeless yet modern feel. His previous works have referenced Dante’s Inferno to Hieronymus Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights”, while taking from philosophers like Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. Recently, during the pandemic, the artist experienced great success in NFTs. Although, he notes that he always aligns these philosophies and histories to a personal perspective. “Artists are philosophers din in their own life. We always question everything—our existence, the world, what’s happening, our faith.”
While Calleja painted and exhibited from the late 2000s to the 2010s, he completely stopped painting from 2013 to 2016, as he grappled with the criticism that artists often inflict on themselves.
“When I started painting again doon ako na-realize na ’yun ’yung nawawala sa akin,” Calleja shares. “Kaya pala parang may void sa sarili ko. Kasi hindi ako nakakagawa ng art.”
It was the little people that got him painting again, he says.
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On form and perspective
These little humanoid people almost always flit through his recent canvases. Sometimes they have unicorn heads. Most of the time they are naked. “As much as possible, I try to avoid using the same color,” Calleja reveals. “Every individual character or individual ‘Adam’ sa painting ko, iba ’yung mix ng colors na ginamit ko.”
The artist recalls the first time he ever painted a little person. After taking a photograph of a burning home, he recognized some beauty in the destruction.
“Feeling ko kulang siya so dinagdagan ko ng tao. People na nag-pa-party sa rooftop. Mga characters na tumatakbo away from the fire. Habang ginagawa ko siya in-enjoy ko ’yung process. Meditative siya.”
While the figures are distorted, there is still that initial sense or feeling of lightness, whether viewing his grand creations from afar or focusing on the details.
With perspective as a tool, Calleja often places large figures alongside his smaller ones, with the occasional bulbous eyes. Calleja refers to this as a “choreography of distances” and a “metaphor of perspective,” explaining that how one views the painting reflects how one can see life.
“How you look at the painting is also how you can look at everything… It’s two different experiences looking at different distances… If you look at it from 12 feet away, you can see the bigger picture, you can see the composition, the subject. But, if you look at it from 12 inches, it’s a more intimate view. You can find the little people that are populating the composition… I always try to be approachable in work, but you have to look at it siguro mas intense para makita ng bigat niya.”
“’Yung characters hindi ko sila nakikita as characters. Tingin ko sa kanila, fragments of ideas nito. Habang ginagawa ko sila, tingin ko parang prayer, meditation, or mantra sila na binibigay ko sa universe.”
Bjorn Calleja’s “Responsible painting”
This vein of meditation pulsates throughout all his work. Whenever Calleja paints today, he is conscious of the power of art to transfer energy from the artist to the viewer, informing his process as what he calls “responsible painting.”
“Naniniwala ako na painting is a way for artists to transfer their energy. Kung ano ’yung energy na meron ako when working siguro binibigay ko ’yung energy sa audience ko. As much as possible I want to be responsible with the energy I give off with the paintings,” he explains.
The artist prioritizes positivity and good vibes when working, sometimes even watching funny videos before starting a painting to make sure he’s in the right frame of mind. He never works in a bad mood.
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With a willingness to embrace mistakes as a learning opportunity or a happy accident, he views painting as a form of play.
“[Mistakes] are what made painting fun for me kasi parang feeling ko bata ako na binigyan ng laruan then, binigyan ng freedom para gawin ’yung ano mang pwede mong gawin dun sa laruan na binigay sayo,” Calleja enthuses.
“In time, the work reveals its purpose to the artist din. Siguro I realized ’yung ano gusto sabihin a couple years in, it was just making the paintings because it felt good. It was meditative. It felt like praying.
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From his unconventional sculptures to his surrealist paintings, all defined by his distinct humanoid figures, Calleja creates his art with a foundation of prayer, mantra, or meditation, which gives off powerful energy, while leaving room for the viewer to build their own narrative.
Calleja’s work seems to be a culmination of his experiences and imagination, and as he experiences the world more, so does his work evolve, keeping it surreal with his paintings and sculptures that seem more like a living, breathing entity, capable of transferring only good energy into the world.
Photography by JT Fernandez
Production assistance by Angela Chen