〈Overview of Installation〉

PAPER PEOPLE was born at a 2021 personal exhibition, and tells the story of “a character who realized he had been abandoned by the creator who had created him, and decided out of loneliness to create companions out of paper.” In the theme of this GINZA SIX installation, the characters are flying off the ground on paper carpets as they set out on a journey to explore the world. PAPER PEOPLE on five carpets of varying size fly at will around the atrium space. The title is The Departure. PAPER PEOPLE at GINZA SIX are made of metal rather than paper, and represent Jean Jullien’s first aerial installation.
[Artwork title] The Departure
[Artist name] Jean Jullien
[Installation location] GINZA SIX 2F Central Atrium
[Installation period] October 26, 2022 (Wednesday) – Spring 2024 (planned)
[Size] About 8 meters in height
Organizer: GINZA SIX Retail Management Co., Ltd.
Cooperation: NANZUKA

〈The Artist’s Message (Ideas Behind the Artwork)〉

The Departure is the third chapter in PAPER PEOPLE story. PAPER PEOPLE was born at a personal exhibition held at Shibuya Parco Museum in 2021. It moved to FRAC Britanny (Britanny Museum of Contemporary Art) in France in July of this year, and has been announced for GINZA SIX in Tokyo starting from October. The adventures of PAPER PEOPLE around the world will continue in the future. In the same way as ideas on paper, there are some ideas that can be expressed better than others and take off on their own, while others do not. PAPER PEOPLE can be described as an embodiment of this concept. The simplicity of paper cut-outs is accessible to everyone and brings back memories of childhood playtimes. At times, it also draws viewers into a fresh surprise of seeing things on a scale that goes beyond the ordinary.

Profile: Jean Jullien
Visual artist
After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2008, Jean Jullien obtained a master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in 2010. As an illustrator, he has provided works to a wide range of clients including the New York Times, National Geographic, RCA Records, Le Centre Pompidou, Hermès, Petit Bateau, and Vogue. He has also been active in the production of paintings, and has held exhibitions in San Francisco, London, Berlin, Singapore, and other locations worldwide. His inspirations include numerous works of Japanese manga including Saint Seiya, Dragonball, and City Hunter, as well as the French manga works known as bande dessinee, the French poster artist Raymond Savignac, children’s book author Tomi Ungerer, and illustrator and manga artist Jean-Jacques Sempé. His wit-filled works are not limited by the concepts of fine art, and are born from a richly natural creativity.

〈Representative works〉

《PAPER PEOPLE》
To commemorate the publication of Jean Jullien – a collection of works published by Phaidon in May of this year, these characters were painted on the walls for a personal exhibition at long-established Parisian art gallery Yvon Lambert, and tell the story of the PAPER PEOPLE.

《PAINTING》
As he was raised in a seaside town, surfing is one of Jean’s great loves and features as a motif in many of his paintings. This new mural painting was exhibited in April of this year at a personal exhibition titled “Bye Bye Blue” at Alice Gallery in Brussels.

《PAINTING》
This painting reflects Jean’s personal experiences and aims for a gentle integration of the illustration. This innovative new style is painted on the surrounding wall beyond the borders of the canvas. From the personal exhibition “Bye Bye Blue” at Alice Gallery.