Gully

GULLY  is a French contemporary artist born in 1977 who emerged from the Paris graffiti scene. He discovered graffiti as a teenager and practiced extensively throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. From 2008 onwards, he adopted the name Gully, marking a new chapter in his career and a gradual shift from urban intervention toward studio painting and canvas.

This transition did not mean abandoning his graffiti roots. Gully retained its energy, spontaneity, visual impact and culture of appropriation, translating them into increasingly complex and narrative compositions. His work now creates a distinctive dialogue between urban art, contemporary painting and art history.

At the center of his artistic universe is a concept he describes as “the world at a child’s height.” His paintings frequently feature the Gullies, young characters who encounter major figures and masterpieces of modern and contemporary art with curiosity and wonder. Through them, viewers are encouraged to rediscover familiar artworks without the hierarchies and expectations traditionally associated with art history.

Gully creates impossible encounters between artists, characters and iconic artworks. Picasso, Warhol, Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Murakami, Niki de Saint Phalle, Magritte, Hopper, Pollock and Soulages may all coexist within the same imagined setting. These references are not simply assembled together: they become part of carefully staged scenes with an almost cinematic or comic-book quality.

Appropriation therefore plays a central role in his practice. Gully borrows recognizable elements from major works of art, relocating and transforming them within new narratives. Rather than simply reproducing an existing image, he creates fictional spaces in which different periods, artistic movements and visual languages can interact.

Childhood is equally important within this world. In front of monumental paintings and famous artistic icons, Gully’s young characters often appear small and vulnerable. Their curiosity and absence of preconceptions turn the imaginary museum visit into a playful experience. Art history becomes accessible, animated and almost theatrical. His compositions are characterized by rich detail, luminous color and precise spatial construction. Some recreate imaginary museum interiors, while others place their characters directly inside the universe of another artist. In Children meet Buffet, for example, Bernard Buffet’s Paris becomes the setting for an entirely new story.

Through this instantly recognizable visual language, Gully builds bridges between street art, pop culture and art history, transforming artistic homage into an original form of contemporary storytelling. His paintings offer a playful and accessible way of rediscovering some of the most iconic images of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art.

Discover Gully’s artworks available at Galerie De Medicis, Place des Vosges in Paris, and explore his narrative universe through paintings combining street art, pop culture, childhood and major figures from art history. The gallery currently presents several original works referencing artists including Bernard Buffet, Warhol, Basquiat, Picasso, Murakami and Lichtenstein.