Julien Malland (Seth Globepainter). Seth: On Walls.

Seth: On Walls. Julien Malland. 2023

On Walls presents a decade of mural work by French street artist Julien Malland, known as Seth Globepainter. Published by Editions de La Martinière and distributed by Abrams, the book documents Seth’s travels through urban and rural communities worldwide, placing his distinct visual language into diverse local contexts shaped by history, conflict, and transition.

Seth’s imagery blends saturated palettes, geometric constructions, and elements of folklore. His recurring figures—faceless children—are staged within environments that suggest both vulnerability and resilience. Across 256 pages, On Walls traces a path from Phnom Penh to Palestine, from Haiti to Ukraine, each mural shaped by the physical and social landscapes where it was created.

The photographs assembled here are attentive to the relationship between wall, artwork, and surroundings. Seth’s process emphasizes local engagement, drawing from traditions and community narratives without imposing an external framework. His murals emerge from these exchanges, reflecting shared histories rather than displacing them.

“In a world where the system alienates the most vulnerable, imposing a cynical or pessimistic outlook seems impossible to me,” Seth explains. His preference for ambiguity and open interpretation keeps the imagery from becoming illustrative, allowing viewers to navigate between surface color and deeper emotional currents.

Sophie Pujas, in the book’s foreword, notes the tension beneath Seth’s bright surfaces: “Like children’s games, in which cruelty is always lurking, Seth’s murals are bearers of melancholy, imprinted with a secret darkness.” This duality informs much of the work gathered here, balancing gestures of play with the realities of uncertainty and loss.

Brief textual descriptions accompany the murals, offering context without overtaking the visual rhythm. In Haiti, Palestine, Tunisia, and beyond, Seth’s murals respond to the environments that host them, sometimes preserving disappearing cultural memories, sometimes marking fragile transitions.

On Walls serves as an understated record of a decade spent traveling, painting, and listening. Seth’s work resists spectacle, favoring small details and collective memory. The focus is on childhood, fantasy; nostalgic but sharply observant, recognizing both the possibilities and the fractures that shape daily life.