If "playful" were a person, it would be Jean Jullien. His witty, uber-relatable comics about the woes of modern metropolitan life have made the graphic designer a favorite in certain circles, including here at Opening Ceremony (remember our NYFW Survival Cards?).
Currently, the French-born, New York-dabbling artiste is showing US, his second solo show at Kemistry Gallery London and the last exhibition to be shown in the gallery’s ten-year home on Charlotte Road. Save the best for last, that's what they say...
The show itself deals with Jean’s fly-on-the-wall observations upon his move to NYC this past fall. The saturated, bold-lined comics in US perfectly capture those odd sights every denizen sees in this fast-paced crazytown: being "that guy" with 3-D glasses, surviving the housing crisis, becoming outraged by our defunct judicial system. To Jean, the scenes presented in the show are “all these things that your mind picks up on, whether it is because it irritates you or because it warms your heart.”
Above all, his work is just genius. Side-eye on the train, #breaktheinternet (or is it #baketheinternet), LOL funny. And what is the artist's definition of funny? "Something that makes you tick, that's not necessarily offending but opens the way to a bit of thinking. That's how I try to create my images: to play with the familiar," he tells us. We'll get down with that.
If you're in London, definitely head out to see these illustrations IRL. For now, take a peek in the slideshow above for some of our favorites on view.
US will be on view at Kemistry Gallery London until January 2015
Kemistry Gallery
43 Charlotte Road, London
EC2A 3PD, UK
MAP
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Jean Jullien's work, currently on view at Kemistry Gallery. Illustrations courtesy of the artist. ![]()
This one is also on Instagram, at @jean _jullien: "last night"
![]()
Jean Jullien's favorite of the bunch.
![]()
Always a good excuse to take a selfie.![]()
Or, to document your fancy food.
Currently, the French-born, New York-dabbling artiste is showing US, his second solo show at Kemistry Gallery London and the last exhibition to be shown in the gallery’s ten-year home on Charlotte Road. Save the best for last, that's what they say...
The show itself deals with Jean’s fly-on-the-wall observations upon his move to NYC this past fall. The saturated, bold-lined comics in US perfectly capture those odd sights every denizen sees in this fast-paced crazytown: being "that guy" with 3-D glasses, surviving the housing crisis, becoming outraged by our defunct judicial system. To Jean, the scenes presented in the show are “all these things that your mind picks up on, whether it is because it irritates you or because it warms your heart.”
Above all, his work is just genius. Side-eye on the train, #breaktheinternet (or is it #baketheinternet), LOL funny. And what is the artist's definition of funny? "Something that makes you tick, that's not necessarily offending but opens the way to a bit of thinking. That's how I try to create my images: to play with the familiar," he tells us. We'll get down with that.
If you're in London, definitely head out to see these illustrations IRL. For now, take a peek in the slideshow above for some of our favorites on view.
US will be on view at Kemistry Gallery London until January 2015
Kemistry Gallery
43 Charlotte Road, London
EC2A 3PD, UK
MAP
Jean Jullien's work, currently on view at Kemistry Gallery. Illustrations courtesy of the artist. 
This one is also on Instagram, at @jean _jullien: "last night"
Jean Jullien's favorite of the bunch.
Always a good excuse to take a selfie.
Or, to document your fancy food.