Graphic artist Jean Jullien holds first large-scale retrospective in Korea

Rather than the final product, the process and the accumulated experiences of creating a piece of art are what define Jean Jullien's artistic identity. The 39-year-old French graphic artist whose illustrations might be familiar to many, is holding...

An installation view of "Then, There," a retrospective by Jean Jullien [JEAN JULLIEN]

Rather than the final product, the process and the accumulated experiences of creating a piece of art are what define Jean Jullien's artistic identity.

The 39-year-old French graphic artist whose illustrations might be familiar to many, is holding his first large-scale retrospective in Korea at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in central Seoul.

Jullien’s cartoons have been featured by brands such as the New York Times, Uniqlo, National Geographic and Yale University.

Titled “Then, There,” the exhibition features around 1,000 sketches, drawings, paintings, sculptures and pieces of media art.

The exhibit is “about seeing what I’ve done, all the way to what I do now, and how that equals who I was then and who I am now,” Jullien said during a press event on Friday. “It’s seeing the journey from the beginning, before I started working properly to now.”

Jullien, left, and Jae Huh, during a press conference at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Friday. [JEAN JULLIEN]

Jullien also drew inside the DDP space for two weeks prior, jotting down in cursive and doodling on the walls the process of how his works come to life — sort of like a pictorial autobiography that visitors can easily follow along at the exhibition.

A cartoon version of Jullien, drawn with distinctive dark circles under his eyes, kicks off the show, introducing himself in speech bubbles: “Hello, I’m Jean Jullien,” reads a large-scale open book installation which is decorated like a children’s book.

Thanking visitors for visiting, “It’s a bit of a weird one for me as it is more or less a ‘retrospective’ show, looking back at all the work I’ve done so far [...] but also telling a bit of a story, giving context.”

The first section of "Then, There" sees 100 of Jullien's sketchbooks and wall scribbles that took the artist two weeks to complete. [JEAN JULLIEN]

"Live drawing" (2022), which are wall scribbles by Jullien in the exhibition [JEAN JULLIEN]

The first section of the exhibition sees 100 sketchbooks that Jullien has scribbled in since he was a kid, which serve as a personal diary. He always made sure he had one with him to record memories or moments even on the spot, says creative director Jae Huh, who is a longtime friend and business partner of Jullien. The pair runs NouNou, a brand that sells Jullien’s illustration-themed merchandise.

“Jean has, in fact, over 20,000 works, which I learned while curating this exhibition,” Huh said. “Most of all, I learned that he’s an artist who creates genuine artworks. Jean is able to paint more than ten pieces in one day if he wanted to, but when he worked on the wall paintings in the exhibition, it took him over a week to look back at his sketchbooks to reinterpret them in a different way onto the walls.

“It’s a meaningful experience that a young artist like Jean is able to fill up this large space and I’m like a living witness to what he’s been doing all these years,” Huh continued. “When we’re honest about our own observations and experiences, I think this exhibition will aid in allowing us to heal back to our regular lives amid the end of the pandemic.”

"Gate Keeper" (2022) [JEAN JULLIEN]

Jullien agreed that the sketchbooks have played a crucial role in his life, which explains why they have been purposely arranged at the beginning of the exhibition.

“When we see the visuals in the streets, in books and [on] social media, we get the final product, which is only one aspect of it and without much context in a way as to what made it,” Jullien said. “I’ve been interested in sharing [the process] with the public and I think there’s a form of generosity in doing that because you put yourself more out there; there’s a bit of transparency.

“The sketchbooks are something that I’ve been doing for 18 years and they’re extremely personal and embarrassing in many ways, because re-reading them, I was remembering how I was at that time, and then I could link it to what I created at that time [...] and so that first room is sort of the journey as the blueprint for the rest of the show — this progression and this constant rhythm in different creations and different moments in life. I wanted to be able to share that and to see how the public would experience that.”

"Fusion (Working together)" (2022) is located outdoors of the DDP building. [JEAN JULLIEN]

An installation view of the "Then, There" exhibition. This one is about family, a recurring topic Jullien takes on in his works. [JEAN JULLIEN]

His illustrations of googly-eyed cartoon people with round heads and round noses, depict all sorts of narratives. Many of them are about family. The artist stressed that he has a very close relationship with his own family and likes to spend time with them together around a dinner table as shown in one installation.

Others are satirical and witty — a man sticking his long nose into a wine bottle is one example. No matter what message he is conveying however, they are fun to look at.

“It’s usually quite spontaneous, I try to remain as sincere as possible when I make something,” Jullien said. “The original idea is quite spontaneous, but the final form is processed. I think that’s why this show is a nice rhythm from starting with drawings to journaling through different iterations of that drawings and to exploration and experimentation in things [...] I think it’s important to find a middle balance and spontaneity.”

“Then, There” continues until Jan. 8 next year. The DDP is open every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are 20,000 won ($14) for adults.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]