Jean Jullien is one of the hottest drawing artists in Japan today, with his simple, pop, and sometimes satirical style of drawing. His first solo exhibition in Japan, "Same Sea," is currently being held at Gallery Target in Harajuku. His clients range from magazines such as "The New York Times" and "The New Yorker" to apparel brands, wine makers, and record companies. In this exhibition, he is showing drawings as well as paintings, which he says are his new focus. . We immediately asked him about the exhibition, about Japan, and about the path he has taken so far and his future prospects.
Born in France and currently based in London, he graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2008 and received his MFA from the Royal College of Art in 2010. He is active in a wide range of fields, creating illustrations, photographs, videos, and installations. He has exhibited internationally, including at the Tate Modern and Kemistry Gallery in London, HVW8 in LA and Berlin, and the National Museum of Singapore. Clients include The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, UNICEF, and Transport for London. www.jeanjullien.com www.instagram.com/jean_jullien/
Life is not all about pieces.
First of all, let me ask you about the concept of this solo exhibition, "Same Sea.
Jan.I have always been greatly inspired by drawing beaches. I am from Nantes, France, a seaside town, and I have noticed that while sketching on beaches in many countries, the beach element is the same no matter where you go, even if the people and scenery are different. For example, in a forest, the trees may be completely different from country to country, but the beach is the same. I have always been the type of person who gets upset and angry about many things, and I have sublimated those feelings into my artwork and painted many things that other people can chuckle at, as a kind of therapy. But this beach painting represents a different side of my life. As I got a little older, I wanted to paint something more mundane and peaceful, and the beach was it. But just painting the beach would be too peaceful, and life is not all about peace, so I decided to paint the people in the scene as well.
How long have you lived in Nantes? And what kind of city is it?
Jan.I lived there until I was 18. It's a very culturally dynamic town. Free culture like skateboarding took root, and there were many street theaters where you could see movies for free back then. There were a lot of street theaters where you could watch movies for free, and not only films for kids. Musically, punk was popular, and gypsy rock was very popular in France in the 90s. I was really into art. My parents took me to concerts, parties, everywhere. I think it was great to share that with them growing up.
So, how did you become interested in art?
Jan.I couldn't do anything else (laughs). And my mother was an architect and curator, so she showed me a lot of classic art, like paintings, architecture, and design. At the same time, my brother was a big fan of comics and cartoons, so I grew up reading a lot of comics. That kind of culture was also very important to me, and I think it was this mixture of pop culture and classic elements that made art very accessible to me and led me to always be drawing. Then I started to study graphic design in France, where I focused on technical skills, and I learned a lot of practical things from Saul Bass (a graphic designer from New York), such as his poster designs. I learned that even commercial artwork has a passion for art.
Jan.I still love collaborating with Beams on t-shirts as much as I love doing exhibitions in galleries and making books. There is a very real aspect to commercials that we usually live in, isn't there? I like the idea of having people see my work in a cultural space, but I also think it's important to put art into clothing and skateboarding and have people appreciate it.
When you say you studied graphic design in France, was that before you entered an art college in London?
Jan.That's right. I was there for about 3 years before I went to London. I learned the basics there, so I was able to have more fun in London.
You have designed a surprisingly large number of clothes, including the T-shirts with "BEAMS T" that are on display here, bags with "Fabric", and other accessories. Is "Nu Nu Nu" your own brand?
Jan.Noo Noo is our brand that we started in 2016. I'm doing it with a Korean friend of mine who originally went to the same university. He decided to come back to Korea from London, where he lived for 12 years, and we decided to start the brand. We are making not only clothes but also more creative things. I'm making toys, carpets, and next year I'm opening a café in Seoul. Eventually, I would like to open one in Paris. NOU-NOU is like a platform where I can express my good ideas in various forms when I have them. Besides, I have always wanted to make something with people from overseas, and that is why I always make things with people from Korea. Of course, I would like to make something in Japan someday as well. Made in Japan is very attractive.
What do you keep in mind when designing clothes?
Jan.That it is something that people wear. That's where my creativity is stimulated. What I do at Noo Noo Noo is a bit challenging, because I am not a fashion designer. I am not a fashion designer. There is a different manner of putting graphics on clothes. So I've made a lot of graphics for T-shirts, and I never get tired of them.
I think Japanese people are very open-minded about stories and fantasy.
Tell us about the culture and artists that influenced you when you were young.
Jan.Japanese manga works such as Saint Seiya, Dragon Ball and City Hunter. The French bandes dessinées, or cartoons, of which Mobius is one of my favorite artists. And American Spider-Man and X-Men. I learned English from American comics (laughs). I read them every night with a dictionary. When I grew up and started studying graphic design, I found great inspiration in the French poster artist Savignac, the children's book author Tommy Ungerer, who also does satirical work, and the great illustrator and cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé.
You are also influenced by Japanese culture.
Jan.Yes, I do. I love the Japanese people's very open-minded and tolerant attitude toward stories and fantasy. You know, corporate CEOs, trendy people, even ordinary fathers, they all read manga, right? But in France, manga is completely separate from culture. Even if the manga is good from a business point of view. So I like that about Japan. I also love the minimalist aesthetic of Japan, the politeness of all people, a certain level of culture, and a good foundation of manners and education. I also think they are very good at taking different cultures and remixing them in a Japanese way. Imagination is not just for otaku and kids.
What is your current interest in Japanese culture and Japanese artists?
Jan.I like Misaki Kawai and Osamu Nagaba. I even bought some original artwork by Osamu Nagaba. Of course, I love not only those graphic artists, but also Japanese fashion. Bizbim, Comme des Garcons, and so on. It's one of the cultural aspects of our time.
In a 2016 issue of Juxtapoz (ed. note: a street / contemporary art magazine published in the U.S.), you mentioned that you were heavily influenced by Evan Hecox, who designs for skateboarding brand , among others. Did you like skateboard culture?
Jan.Evan Hecox has influenced me a lot. I also love skateboard culture and have been doing it myself for over 10 years. Evan Hecox is an amazing artist, and he does such beautiful graphics, but then those graphics on a skateboard get scratched up as you skate, right? I think that's great. For example, it would be a big deal if you scratched a piece of artwork that is displayed in a gallery like this. That's very generous of you as an artist. Of course there is money involved, but art is not only appreciated in the best condition, and even if you can't buy a painting, you might be able to buy a skateboard deck. Many of my friends have decks on their walls.
In the same article, you also mentioned that you are interested in expressing your own ideas through drawings and uploading them to social networking sites to communicate with those who see them. Is that still the case today? If so, why do you think that is?
Jan.I think things are changing a little bit. I think it is a little more difficult to exchange opinions on social networking sites now, so I express my opinions less. The topics I draw tend to generate a lot of feedback on social networking sites, so I have a lot of followers, and it is easy to generate negative comments. So now I upload portions of my works or materials and hope that the viewers can feel something in my own way. I try to upload such works.
In addition to drawings, you also incorporate artwork into various formats, such as skateboards, clothing, and vases, and I think each of them has its own distinct style. How did you come to work on this?
Jan.In college, I took classes in photography, sculpture, and other subjects that were not my area of expertise, and perhaps that was a big part of why I liked them so much. Whenever I had a good idea, I thought it would be good to express it in the best way depending on the idea, rather than just using a particular technique.
What are you most interested in right now?
Jan.Painting. There is a painter active in the 19th and 20th century named Edouard Vuillard, and his paintings are truly wonderful. Even if you look at it now, it doesn't look old-fashioned at all; it feels like contemporary art. I am interested in artists who are classic but have a contemporary appeal.
Where is your motivation for production?
Jan.I think it's a good reaction from the people who see my work. Nowadays, social networking sites have flattened so many things that it is difficult to read the number of Likes alone, but reading the comments gives me a good idea of what people think of my work, and that is very motivating. Also, it's really interesting and inspiring to experiment with different formats of canvases.
How do you usually spend your days?
Jan.I rent a studio in a house on a street in Hackney, East London, and I have a two-year-old child, so I spend time with my family when I wake up in the morning before going to the studio at 10:00. I'm always working on a lot of commercial work, so I'm busy talking to my assistant in New York and exchanging emails with overseas agencies, but I always try to keep some free time for sketching. Even if it's something I don't show to others. It's really for practice, or to keep my senses.
How much do you travel per year?
Jan.You travel a lot, I would say every month. I have kids and want to stay home as much as possible. So I'm planning to do less next year. Last week I was in Seoul, now Tokyo, next week San Francisco, back home for two weeks, then Hong Kong, then Croatia, back home again for two weeks, then San Francisco, and so on.
What kind of career do you want to pursue as an artist in the future?
Jan.In the future, I would like to set up a studio near a beach in the south of France. I would like to continue doing commercial work there as well, because at 35 years old, it is very stimulating to do something new in a different country, like having my first solo exhibition in Japan. So I would like to create an environment where I can focus on my own work while doing some commercial work.
Jean Jullien "Same Sea
Dates: During the exhibition - Saturday, May 26
Venue: Gallery Target
Address: 2-32-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 12:00-19:00 (closed on Sundays and holidays) www.jeanjullien.com
