Whether you are a long-time street art enthusiast or just beginning to explore the fascinating world of urban art, it is hard to remain indifferent to the works of SETH Globepainter (Julien Malland, born 1972). The colorful, thoughtful children he creates transform urban walls into spaces filled with imagination, innocence, and hope.
“Paris is a city I know deeply, and for me it is a constant source of exploration through painting. I love its architecture, the differences between neighborhoods, and the richness of its culture – everything about it inspires me.”
Who is SETH Globepainter?
SETH was born in Paris and is considered one of the leading street artists in France and the world. His style is defined by large-scale paintings of children that symbolize the ability to see the world through different eyes.
“I make both murals and gallery works. The street allows me to reach everyone, not only those who go to museums.”
Children at the Center of Creation
Almost every work by SETH features a boy or girl, sometimes with faces hidden or turned aside. The choice to conceal the face is intentional.
“There is a little of me in every child I paint. It is my way to speak to everyone. If I painted adults, it would not convey the same message. Children allow me to show difficult situations in a positive and thoughtful way.” The children of SETH are a universal symbol. They speak to every culture, everywhere, and allow an immediate emotional connection with the viewer.
Adapting to Place and Culture
SETH is known as an artist who travels and paints wherever he goes – from Ukraine to Mexico, from China to South America.
In every place, he strives to adapt his work to the local context.
“What interests me are local architecture and culture. I want a connection with the place where I paint. It can be masks, traditional embroidery, or elements from local history.”
Thus, his murals in Paris differ from those he created in Ukraine or Rome, but all share the same visual language of childhood imagination.
Paris as an Open Canvas
In Paris, many of SETH’s works can be found, especially in the 13th arrondissement, which has become an open-air museum of street art through the Boulevard Paris 13 project. His large murals rise along building facades and attract art lovers from around the world.
“What is special about a city like Paris is that you can get to know a neighborhood through the people you meet while painting. Art becomes a tool for real human connection.”
SETH’s Sources of Inspiration
SETH’s work is deeply rooted in the world of childhood – a world where play, curiosity, and imagination merge into inspiring visual creation.
“The child I paint speaks not only to children but also to adults – to the child that lives within each of us.”
Childhood and Play Cultures
SETH draws inspiration from childhood games, traditional toys, and imagery related to the world of children – skipping ropes, balloons, hide-and-seek, or simple chalk drawings. His paintings often feature fantastic worlds, colorful openings, or tunnels that lead to “another place.” These represent the child’s ability to escape reality through imagination and build parallel worlds.
Social and Political Perspective
Beyond childhood innocence, SETH’s works often reflect social criticism or references to complex political situations. A painting of a child looking beyond a wall, for example, hints at questions of boundaries, isolation, and freedom.
“There are places where the situation is complicated, and my painting allows me to speak about it gently, in a positive way that encourages reflection.”
The combination of playfulness and imagination with references to political reality allows viewers to experience the work on several levels – as visual pleasure and as a reflection on broader themes such as identity, belonging, peace, and freedom.
Studio Work and Technique
Before painting on a public wall, SETH dedicates time in his studio to sketches, visual research, and composition planning. He studies the relationship between the child figure and the architectural element where the work will appear.
The studio allows him to experiment with shades – especially acrylic and spray paint – and to play with the contrast between realistic black and white and vivid bursts of color (pink, turquoise, yellow, purple).
“The street is my canvas, but the studio is where I think, explore, and understand what I really want to say.”
Main Techniques
- Integration of architecture: windows, crumbling walls, stairs, or existing objects become part of the image.
• Layers of color: often semi-transparent layers give the impression that the child emerges from a colorful cloud or an imaginary space, adding a dreamlike quality.
The children of SETH are not just painted figures – they are an invitation to imagine, to think, and to see the world from a different perspective. His murals in Paris and in cities around the world remind us that even in the grayest urban environments, there is room for innocence, dreams, and color.
Instagram: @seth_globepainter
Official website: seth.fr
Among the artists whose works appear in the series of posts on street art and graffiti in Paris:
SETH (Julien Malland), C215 (Christian Guémy), Vhils (Alexandre Farto), KASHINK (Maëva Martinez), Vale_Stencil (Valérian Lenud), The Pop Suréalist, The End of Animals (THE END), L’Empreinte Jo V (La Dactylo), IPDO (I Pixel di Oplontis), Mathieu 1976 (Mathieu Dussaucy), DJERADI LUDOVIC (Ludovic Djeradi), JR, Invader, Miss.Tic, Jef Aérosol, Blek Le Rat, Speedy Graphito, Hopare, Astro, Ardif, Ludo, Levalet (Charles Leval), Jo Di Bona, Monsieur Chat (Thoma Vuille), Zevs, Combo CK (Combo Culture Kidnapper), Alëxone Dizac, Tilt, Lek & Sowat, L’Atlas, Romain Froquet, Philippe Baudelocque, Jérôme Mesnager, Vinie Graffiti, Kalouf, Maye, A-MO, Clet Abraham, OakOak, Ender, Mosko et Associés, Codex Urbanus, Ella & Pitr, Dourone, Shaka (Marchal Mithouard), Raphael Federici, Pboy, Sismikazot, Kurar, Gregos, Tarek, Jace, Nasty, Doudou Style, FKDL, RNST, Zepha, Jerk 45, Onemizer, Bault, Polar Bear, Céz Art, Guy Denning, SP38, Zeer, Dume, Tanc, Kaldea, Antistatik, Reso, Woizo, MadC, Jober, Abys, Guaté Mao, Psyckoze, MonkeyBird Crew, Mantra, Aude Villerouge, Loraine Motti, Jean Faucheur, Jibé, Bom.K, Gris1, Aéro, Ludo, JBC, Le MoDuLe De ZeeR, Tilt, D*Face, Shepard Fairey, Banksy.
Street Art in Le Marais Paris
Street Art Along Canal de l’Ourcq
LUDOVIC – Urban Chaos
Mathieu 1976 – Angels in Paris
IPDO – The Smurfs on the Wall
The Women of L’Empreinte Jo V
The Pop Suréalist
KASHINK – Paris’ Female Voice
Spot 13 – Paris
La Promenade Plantée – Paris
Street Art Avenue Paris
Street Art in Montmartre
The Giant Mural Project in Paris
THE END OF ANIMALS
The Belleville Character
VHILS – Carved in Stone
59 Rivoli – Alternative Art in Paris
The Children of SETH
Vale_Stencil – Colorful Stencil Art


