French artist Julien Malland, previously known by his artistic pseudonym Seth Globepainter, has stunned the world over the last few decades with his amazing wall murals. These murals have tended to focus on the minds and worlds of children and their unique understanding of what it means to be human.
The artist who has crafted works across the globe has now brought his unique talents to Denmark. His new Danish work firstly involves a piece called ‘Jack in the Box’, which features a small boy appearing as if he sits inside a Jack in the box toy, and a second piece which depicts a bright blue sky, a little girl and a bird, imposed on the bricked up windows of a building. It had been his initial intention to only carry out the ‘Jack in the Box’ work, however passing the bricked up building filled him with inspiration. He spoke to the Danish press stating the motivation behind his works:
"I almost always use children in my work, since through the child I can talk to everybody who will all understand. My work is about talking to the inner child inside each and every one of us. We are all able to relate to children, and travelling around the world there are always children playing … The motive never is nearly as important as the place where it is situated. It is the surroundings and the effect of the piece on the urban landscape that really matters. All of a sudden the citizens see the building in a new way. This is why I like to paint in the streets."
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Malland was born in Paris in 1972 and first got involved in murals in the 1990s. His unique depiction of children in various, often surreal, settings encourages us to see the world through a child’s eyes. A time when we saw things in their raw form and evaluated each thing and idea independently as oppose to taking them at face value – as we may often do as adults. Notably, the face of the actual child in each artwork is rarely shown, thereby encouraging us to imagine ourselves in their shoes and to see what they are seeing.
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Malland does not though exclusively work in the field of murals. In 2018 he undertook a major show in Shanghai, China, where not only were artworks shown but also sculptures and other art installations, followed by a similar show in London – all of which continued the theme of the child-like gaze.
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While awaiting his London show, he created what would become one of his most recognisable works. Commissioned by Paris City Hall – along with three other artists, 1010, Momies and Nebay, the project was to bring modern art straight to the heart of Paris. Malland’s contribution to the overall project depicted one of his child characters sitting in a paper boat on a multi-coloured road next to the Seine river. It was certainly a work that gathered a lot of attention as both citizens, tourists and the press flocked to see it – not to mention the thousands who stumbled upon it by surprise while walking through Paris.
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The works really are great and are a light relief from the busy city bustle in which his murals are often found, as Malland says himself:
"Sweetness and innocence from childhood regularly contrasts with the chaotic environments I choose to put them in."
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You can explore more of his work on his Instagram.
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