'NIGHLIGHT MUSHROOM' by Javier Calleja X Case Studyo

NIGHLIGHT MUSHROOM

Continuing the ongoing series of collaborations with Javier Calleja and CASE STUDYO. We are proud to introduce the next fruit of their teamwork – Nightlight Mushroom Lamp. After a series of planter pots, this functional, somewhat interactive sculptural piece is a continuation of the artist’s vision to find different ways of incorporating elements from his distinctive universe into everyday life. In the recent work coming out of Calleja’s studio in Malaga, it was clear that the artist is more interested in entering the surreal sphere and modifying his signature big-eyed characters into hybrids of sorts. After Pop Top, Top Pot Top, and the XL version of planters that allow for the upgrade of original work with the addition of living plants, the celebrated Spanish artist is continuing to incorporate natural elements into his work. Both as a way to further expand his universe and a proposal to reconsider the relationship with nature, these releases are underlined with a playful sense of poetry that permeates Calleja’s practice.

Loosely based on a character that was originally introduced in work on paper in 2021 (Time After, 2021) and was further elaborated in painting format at the summer 2023 London solo show with Almine Rech (Lean on Me, 2023), Nightlight Mushroom Lamp is a new character with an emblematic Amanita muscaria mushroom top as hair. Keeping in mind the glow effect of the object, the face/stalk of the fungus is kept pale white, to some extent nodding to the idea of the psychedelic qualities of mushrooms. Contrasting its simple yet unmistakable red-and-white color scheme, the facial features are given a cheeky expression with eyebrows raised and a crooked smirk. More noticeable when the light is on, the confused, surprised, perhaps distrusting appearance adds an almost interactive element to the stand-alone, USB-charged art device.