AISHONANZUKA is honoured to announce “CHIM PUM”, the third solo exhibition by Spanish artist Javier Calleja at our new art space at LANDMARK Atrium, six years since his milestone Asian debut. The show is on view from 20 October to 25 November, 2023.
Comprising a small suite of new paintings and a bigger series of mixed media works on paper, the exhibition that borrows the title from an unusual onomatopoeic Spanish expression CHIM PUM marks his return to the gallery after four years since his last solo show. Without a clear origin or exact definition, CHIM PUM is part of Spanish urban slang and, much like Calleja's imagery, has a variety of possible interpretations. Imitating or suggesting the sound of drums at the end of the song, the “chin” of the cymbals and the “pum” of the drums suggest an ending of sorts. Translating to "THAT'S IT" or even "SHUT UP," such a moment of conclusion also reveals an opportunity for a new beginning. And as someone who likes finding or pointing at the silver lining in any given situation, Calleja is indicatively announcing CHIM PUM, hoping for new, better beginnings to come.
Sometimes written as Chim Pun, Chin Pum, or Chimpum, the expression phonetically resembles Cantonese or Mandarin language, becoming an imaginary bridge between two cultures. Also symbolizing the sound of explosion, fireworks, or celebration, its meaning could also be translated as a nod to Chinese festivity tradition. This element comes to light in Calleja's new drawings, which now feature a range of floating symbols and sparkle-like forms that add a somewhat festive undertone to these immediate visual musings (Chim Pum or Imagine, both 2023). These new drawings reveal the more exaggerated stylization of Calleja's emblematic characters, transforming them further into a distinctive alphabet of his while working along the line of the "simple, but not easy" motto. Finally, with his muses curiously stating the phrase while wearing a Lichtenstein-like Bang t-shirt (Chim Pum, 2023) or wearing a self- made protective headgear while calling for vigilance (Be Ready, 2023), CHIM PUM could be experienced as an ironic soundtrack for the falling world around us. "A joke about the dangerous world we live in," as Calleja puts it.
More Details: https://www.aishonanzuka.com/javier-calleja-2023