Bjorn Calleja - National Gallery Singapore – Gallery Benefit 2023 New York Friday, November 10, 2023 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Courtesy of the artist

  • Catalogue Essay

    Estimates for this auction are in United States (US) dollars.
    Bidding will be in US dollars.


    Forgiveness is typical of the vibrant and surreal scenes created by leading Filipino artist Bjorn Calleja. In these scenes, perspective and scale are consciously altered. Employing a fluorescent palette, he constructs forms that are both familiar and abstract. Here, an abstracted central figure is depicted with enlarged facial features, and the canvas is also populated with miniature cartoonish characters, which are a central unifying motif throughout his recent works. This upended sense of scale serves as a metaphor that interrogates the impact humans have on the world around them and examines how we are responsible for shaping our environment.

    Calleja’s interdisciplinary artistic practice explores identity, spirituality and the political aspects of everyday life. He is heavily influenced by the pop culture of the 1980s and ’90s, as well as cartoons and the Internet. Standing at the forefront of contemporary Filipino art, Calleja has journeyed into the realm of digital creation, and has become a highly successful NFT artist. His digital animations have been featured in several NFT exhibitions including NFTs + The Ever-Evolving World of Art at Art Basel in Hong Kong in 2022 and Living System: An NFT Show at S.E.A. Focus in Singapore in 2023.

    This lot is physically located in the Philippines.

    Prospective buyers should note they are responsible for the costs of transporting the lot from its current location to the buyer. This includes the cost of obtaining any required export and/or import licences or permits and paying any applicable taxes. The buyer of the lot is responsible for complying with applicable export and import laws and regulations. Prospective bidders are therefore advised to make independent enquiries.

52

Forgiveness

signed and dated 'bjorn XXIII' lower right
oil and acrylic on canvas
122 x 122 cm. (48 x 48 in.)
Executed in 2023.

Estimate
$4,500 - 6,000 

Sold

Contact Specialist

Christine Fernando
Regional Representative, Singapore
christinefernando@phillips.com
 

National Gallery Singapore – Gallery Benefit 2023

10-18 November 2023