Jean Jullien

The prolific work and influences of French graphic artist Jullien (b. 1983) get an engrossing look in this lavishly illustrated collection. Enriched with family interviews and the artist’s own astute commentary, the book chronicles Jullien’s artistic mission to capture “the often overlooked, quieter moments of everyday life.” From the moment Jullien could hold a pencil, his father, Bruno, recalls in a conversation, the artist “drew all the time, even on tablecloths when we were out at restaurants.” As Jullien guides readers through his numerous sketches, paintings, satirical drawings, and 3D installations, his family emerges as a theme that “ground[s]” him, as seen in quaint kitchen scenes inspired by his childhood home in Brittany and collaborations with his younger brother Nico, who’s helped him “re-create the essence of happiness” in various animations over the years. This palpable joy runs throughout, radiating from cheeky Instagram sketches in the 2010s that put a comic twist on such familiar scenes as brunch-goers standing in what looks like a line to hell, as well as his anthropomorphized animal line drawings brought to life on hand-painted surfboards bobbing in the ocean. Showcasing Jullien’s uncanny ability to wring whimsy from the mundane, this vibrant assemblage brings fans a satisfying taste of a brilliant artist who’s only just beginning. (May)