Another great solo exhibition that opened in Brussels last week was Jean Jullien's Petrichor, which features a new series of canvases and a large privacy/dressing screen with painted images based on experiences from the artist's personal life. Now open at Alice Gallery, the exhibition presents the artist's fairly new studio practice and introduces a new book.

For the past two years, the renowned French illustrator and designer completely shifted his practice toward traditional painting. Capturing the aura of the moment and disinterested in realistically rendering the physical appearance of the elements, this entire body of work imbues a consistent atmosphere. In love with the medium and technique, Jullien continuously makes new work at prolific pace, resulting in successful exhibitions everywhere from Seoul, New York, San Francisco, Miami, and Tokyo. In his Japanese debut, Jullien introduced a new book Lesconil, which brings an overview of his current practice and gives insight into the background and process of his coherent imagery.

A year since his last show in the Belgium capital, Jullien returns with an exhibition defined by, "the characteristic odor that accompanies rain and emanates from the earth, especially after a period of dry, warm weather." Presenting a series of work filled with beachside activities, walks in nature and family moments at home, the artist adds a sensory element to the tranquil presentation with such a poetic title. With diligent attention to personal experiences and emotions related to leisure and fun with family and friends, this body of work adds to the growing visual diary he is building. Using the existing setting as a basic construction for his imagery, Jullien successfully frames everyday sights into vibrant postcard-like compositions that evoke the brushwork of impressionist greats.

The exhibition also marks a release of a new print edition and exclusive merchandise produced especially for the event.

Photos and text by Sasha Bogojev