NANZUKA ART INSTITUTE in Shanghai is pleased to present JUJU’s Castle, a solo exhibition by French artist Jean Jullien. This exhibition marks the artist’s first solo show in China and features an ambitious collection of over 80 new paintings created during his stay in Tokyo, alongside sculptures, objects, models and a large-scale installation in order to create an immersive experience.
As the title JUJU’s Castle suggests, the exhibition invites visitors on a narrative journey based on Jullien’s memories and experiences, retold fictitiously in order to make it relatable to a larger audience. Like an immersive tale. The true protagonists of this show are the visitors themselves. Each gallery space becomes a dungeon in a grand castle, where a party of four—warrior, elf, mage, and hero—encounters various monsters along the way. Through this immersive narrative, the exhibition offers a completely new type of museum experience.
Jean Jullien was born in 1983 in Nantes, France. His playfully incisive perspective was shaped by an early fascination with pop culture—particularly French and Japanese manga, anime, video games, and films. The exhibition JUJU’s Castle draws inspiration from these imaginary worlds of childhood, as well as from unforgettable moments shared with his uncle.
“When I was a child, my uncle Patrick fed my imagination with tales of his Roleplaying Games, the many comic books he was reading and the movies he was watching," Jean says. "His old bedroom had a glass cabinet filled with hand painted miniature characters used for Tabletop RPGs such as Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. These fascinated me to the highest level. Every time I visited my grandparents, my brother and I would rush to the cabinet to marvel at the precious characters. And any time my uncle would come back, he would tell us about the endless adventures he lived as a monster slashing ranger. He would narrate the sci-fi movies he’d watch and share his comic book collection.”
For Jullien, a boy deeply drawn to imaginary worlds, diving into the realm of fantasy was almost inevitable—featuring dark wizards, captive allies, and battles with dragons. Out of this fascination came JUJU’s Castle, a place he has lovingly preserved as a vivid mental refuge.
“With constant news of war, global warming, pandemic and dystopic technological advancements, it seems like our daily lives have become more and more anxiogenic," Jean continues. "But there is resistance in the form of escapism and people have resorted to it in many ways. From video games to role playing games, cosplays, niche literatures and online communities; people have found means to deviate from the harsh reality. After years of using my painting and drawings to observe and comment on the real world, I've moved to Tokyo to paint a parallel version of it. An everyday filled with printed avatars, animated screens, legions of figures, and costumed characters. Here it seems to me that fantasy has found myriad ways to invade reality, enhancing it, making it more dreamlike. This enchanted everyday seems like the perfect resistance to modern life.”
Jean Jullien has consistently strived to transform the world’s overwhelming negativity into messages of joy and imagination. The reason his work resonates across generations and cultures may lie in this sincere and heartfelt approach. JUJU’s Castle is not just his sanctuary—it is also a space of comfort and wonder for all.