Get The Champagne, You Did The Bare Minimum' Available
Artist: Matthew Callaby aka Mr Callaby
Title: Get The Champagne, You Did The Bare Minimum
Medium: Giclee Print
Size: (A1) 59.4 x 84.1 cm
Edition: OPEN
Price: £140
Matthew Callaby, professionally known as
Mr Callaby
, is a British contemporary artist born in 1990 and currently based in Bristol. His instantly recognisable acrylic paintings introduce viewers to a candy-coloured universe populated by chubby, wide-eyed characters that balance on the tightrope between adorable and unsettling. Inspired by childhood nights spent watching Cartoon Network and by the graphic clarity he learned while studying design, Callaby builds each canvas with laborious precision, brushing four to six ultra-flat coats until the surface resembles polished plastic.
The process begins as tiny sketches made on trains or in cafés, loose drawings of anthropomorphic fruit, balloons or animals that later balloon into large scale compositions where subtle shadows hint at emotional depth beneath the glossy cuteness. That tension sweet yet vaguely eerie has become his signature, earning him solo shows at Helm Gallery and sell-out releases on Artsy, while his ceramics and charcoal works extend the cast of characters into three dimensions and monochrome dreamscapes.
After eight years of painting at night while working in advertising, Callaby saved enough to attempt six months of full-time art, a leap that quickly paid off when collectors connected with the playful sincerity of his vision. Social media now spreads his images worldwide, yet he remains cautious of influencer labels, preferring to protect the integrity of each handmade piece rather than flood the market with prints.
Whether rendering a smiling milk carton or a teary ice-cream cone, Mr Callaby invites us to confront the soft underbelly of consumer culture with a grin, proving that seriousness and fun can coexist on the same immaculate plane.
