Gully (1977) - Gully and the children meet Picasso 3

Artist name: Gully

Nationality: French

Date of birth: 1977, Paris, France

Title of the work: Gully and the children meet Picasso 3

Year: 2020

Technique: Mixed media on paper

Dimensions:

Canvas: 80 cm x 120 cm

Framing: No

Signature details: Hand-signed by the artist

Edition: Unique work (not numbered),

Provenance:
Work directly from the artist's studio, Gully. The work is sold with a certificate of authenticity issued by the artist.

Documentation:
Each work is accompanied by a secure authenticity certificate GULLY Control

Condition:
The work is in perfect condition, with no notable imperfections.

Delivery:
The work will be shipped from France, carefully packaged and insured.
Loose canvas (unmounted).

About the artist:

Born in 1977 in the Paris suburbs, Gully began his graffiti career in the early 1990s, in Val-d’Oise. At 13, a fan of Franco-Belgian comics and hip-hop culture, he discovered the adrenaline of writing: tags, block letters, chrome with a roller, large signatures designed for maximum visibility. Totally self-taught, he trained in the streets, in the school of graffiti and camaraderie, developing a keen sense of lettering and visual impact.

Very quickly, he understood the importance of signature and identity. In 2008, he adopted the pseudonym “Gully,” marking a transition toward a more pictorial, colorful, and narrative body of work. This name, borrowed from the childhood world, embodies the carefreeness and mischief at the heart of his work. Convinced that adults should never detach from the child they once were, Gully makes childhood the guiding thread of his artistic universe.

His work draws from multiple references: the clear line of Uderzo, the narrative realism of Norman Rockwell, certain atmospheres of Edward Hopper, but also the heritage of New York graffiti and street art pioneers. Gradually, he emancipates himself from appropriation to develop a singular style, between realism and dreamlike imagery.
The children he depicts no longer merely observe the masterpieces of art history: they interact with them, misappropriate them, question them, creating a dialogue between popular culture and artistic heritage.

His recognition in the art market was swift. In 2009, he participated in his first auction at Millon and Cornette de Saint Cyr. His work Alésia far exceeded its estimate, marking the start of a continued ascent.

In 2013, a canvas surpassed 50,000 euros; in 2019, Hommage NTHK Magritte 17 exceeded 70,000 euros. In 2021, he set a record at a sale organized by Louiza Auction in Brussels: the monumental triptych Children meet Delacroix (2019) sold for 168,000 euros.

He has also entered the international market with a first sale at Christie’s in 2015.

Today, Gully has established himself as a major figure on the French contemporary urban scene. From spray paint to large narrative canvases, his journey testifies to a controlled evolution: that of a graffiti-born artist who has built a recognizable universe, where childhood becomes a critical and poetic lens to reinterpret art history and our society.