Jean Jullien’s quirky artwork effortlessly illustrates the often mundane and extraordinary observations of daily life. Overshopping at the supermarket, over-pouring an avalanche of cereal and the visual image of one’s face deflating in optimism from New Year’s Day till the end of the year. Notebook in hand, the French artist documents everything he experiences through the imperfect bristles of a of brush pen, refining the small sketches that pique his interest into large exhibitions that have gone on to view at HVW8 (LA), MIMA (Brussels) and NANZUKA (Tokyo), as well as frequent collaborations with Case Studyo and massive sculptural installations, such as a recent partnership with Sarah Andelman and Phamily First in Paris.

“It’s very organic.” Jullien tells Hypeart. “It’s not very thought through. I’ve got this continuous process of observing things and reacting to them.” At 1.2 million followers, the French artist, who frequently hops between Paris, New York and Los Angeles, has amassed quite the following for his eccentric sketches of daily life. His most viral drawing, however, was rooted in intense sorrow following the horrific 2015 attacks in Paris. Entitled “Peace for Paris”, depicting the Eiffel Tower in place of the usual bars of the peace sign, the illustration became a global marker of unity amongst the international community amidst a series of terrorist attacks around the world. It was a sketch that signaled the positive effect a simple work of art can have in the hyper-connected world of social media, but alternatively, it also didn’t reflect his practice at-large and was not intended to divert attention from the real tragedy to those affected in the attacks.

“Political graphics have been around for a very long time and they’ve had a big impact on society,” Jullien adds. “Some people are really good at it and it is their calling. It isn’t mine,” noting how it’s taken roughly 10 years for him to overcome this global image that people recognized him for in place of the actual cheerful and somewhat humorous observations that has actually come to define the spirit of his work.

A lover of the city, Jullien, who grew up on the West Coast of France, has recurrently tapped into his youth for inspiration — working with his brother Nicolas, an artist himself, to create playful reflections on the seaside and the joys of taking things slow. Despite working at a rather feverish pace, Jullien effortlessly captures the thoughts that elude us, the moments that vex us and the subtle occurrences that fill us with joy. For the latest Pen & Paper, Hypeart hopped on a call with the artist to reflect on the past 10 years of his career and learn more about what he’s got in store for the future.