Jean Jullien

Jean Jullien wants to tell you something. For him, illustration is the simplest method of communication – “with drawing, there’s no need for translation from one language to another.” Simplicity is both his philosophy and his practice. Jullien works with a single paint brush to create his thick black line drawings which are then digitally filled with bold block colour. The illustrations have been translated into sculpture, posters, magazine covers and more. They comment on everyday life with the unpretentious, playful ease of the cartoons he grew up watching.

Collaboration is at the core of Jullien’s practice. By working with other people, he says, you remove “the artistic pedestal” that artists are often placed on. Through these collaborations he creates practical art that people can use, like surfboards, clothing, and wine bottles. More recently, Jullien has shifted his focus to fine art – showing with institutions internationally, including Parco Museum Tokyo, Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul and with the MIMA Museum in Brussels. The humour present in his illustrations gives way to something more meditative. His paintings continue to take inspiration from a close observation of the everyday, with a particular focus on nature, landscapes and surf, or as Jean says “the places I go to, the moments I cherish, the details that catch my eye.”