In the quiet corners of Paris, amid the hum of a city alive with stories, photographer JF Julian found his calling in capturing the subtle, unspoken moments of human existence. His work, a dance of light, shadow, and emotion, feels like stepping into a reverie—tender, haunting, and profoundly personal. In a recent Tokyo exhibition, Julian’s art took center stage as a love letter to Japan and a reflection of his 15-year artistic journey. Titled A Life Laid Bare, the exhibition invited viewers to explore Julian’s world through photographs, fanzines, and wearable art. Curated by Japanese artist and model Mee, it highlighted Julian’s vision while celebrating his connection to Japan—a place that has shaped his identity and approach as an artist.
We connected with JF to better understand his journey, his creative process, and the stories that culminated in A Life Laid Bare. What follows is a paraphrased version of our conversation and a glimpse into the quiet, profound moments he captures with unflinching intimacy.
在巴黎这座充满故事的城市喧嚣中，摄影师 JF Julian 在捕捉人类生活中那些微妙而无声的瞬间中找到了属于自己的使命。他的作品如同光影与情感的舞蹈，令人仿佛步入遐想——温柔、萦绕心头，又极具个人色彩。在最近的东京展览中，Julian 的作品成为焦点，这不仅是一封写给日本的情书，也是他 15 年艺术历程的回顾。展览名为《赤裸人生》，邀请观众通过摄影作品、同人志和可穿戴艺术作品探索 Julian 的世界。展览由日本艺术家兼模特 Mee 策划，旨在展现 Julian 的视野，同时也歌颂他与日本的联系——日本塑造了他的身份认同和艺术创作方式。
我们联系了 JF，以更好地了解他的经历、创作过程以及《赤裸人生》的那些故事。以及他以坚定的亲密态度捕捉到的安静、深刻的时刻。
A Revelation in the Darkroom
Photography became Julian’s voice when words failed him. Struggling to connect with the adult world as a child, he discovered the medium during his studies at Parsons School of Design. A darkroom class transformed his perspective. “I was printing my first negative. It struck me as a revelation of truth,” he recalls. This discovery allowed him to communicate beyond language, capturing layered stories within a single frame. Since then, his photography has sought to distill fleeting truths, revealing the interplay of presence and absence in deeply human moments.
暗房里的启示
当语言无法表达时，摄影成为了Julian的发声工具。儿时，他努力与成人世界建立联系，在帕森斯设计学院学习期间发现了摄影这一媒介。一堂暗房课改变了他的视角。“当时我正在冲洗我的第一张底片。它让我仿佛看到了真相，”他回忆道。这一发现让他能够超越语言，用一帧画面捕捉层层递进的故事。从那时起，他的摄影作品便致力于提炼转瞬即逝的真相，揭示人性深处存在与缺失的互动。
A Love Letter to Japan
Julian’s connection to Japan runs deep. “In Japan, the meaning of gesture and its mastery resonates in ways unmatched by other countries,” he shares. “The act is intentional; the action carries consequence.” His exhibition reflected this influence, offering viewers a glimpse into the quiet, contradictory beauty of Japan’s nights. “There’s a kind of reverence for quiet moments in Japanese culture that resonates with how I see the world.”
Julian’s work also explores the art of Japanese eroticism, which he describes as one of the culture’s “secret keys.” From 17th-century shunga prints to contemporary digital art, he finds inspiration in Japan’s unrestrained creativity and freedom of tone. Beyond its aesthetic allure, this tradition embodies a unique balance of restraint and expression—a dynamic that aligns with his own philosophy of leaving space for what is unseen, inviting the viewer to fill in the silences with their imagination.
封写给日本的情书
Julian与日本有着深厚的渊源。“在日本，手势的含义及其精湛技艺能引起其他国家无法比拟的共鸣，”他分享道。“动作是有意为之的；动作本身也会带来后果。”他的展览体现了这种影响，让观众得以一窥日本夜晚宁静而矛盾的美。“日本文化中对宁静时刻的崇敬，与我看待世界的方式产生了共鸣。”
Julian的作品也探索了日本情色艺术，他将其描述为日本文化的“秘密钥匙”之一。从17世纪的春宫版画到当代数字艺术，他从日本奔放的创造力和自由的语调中汲取灵感。除了美学魅力之外，这一传统还体现了克制与表达之间的独特平衡——这种动态与他自己的哲学相契合，即为看不见的事物留出空间，邀请观者用想象力填补沉默。
The Creative Process: Between Light and Shadow
Julian’s approach to photography is as deliberate as the images he creates. Relying on his Canon 5D Mark IV with a 50mm f/1.2 and a 16–35mm f/2.8 lens, he works exclusively with constant light to maintain a natural, intimate atmosphere. The choice allows him to shoot wide open apertures, creating images that feel soft and calming, both for the viewer and within the scene itself. “The light needs to feel real, something the body can relax into. I don’t want to blind, I want to reveal.”
Collaboration with his models is equally intentional. Julian seeks individuals who share his creative energy and align with his artistic vision. Every detail—location, timing, staging ideas, and props—is carefully discussed beforehand to ensure clarity and comfort for all involved. Yet, within this structure, he leaves room for spontaneity, believing that the most authentic moments emerge when control is minimized and models are allowed to move naturally within their rhythm. It’s this careful interplay of planning and freedom that defines his evocative style.“Yes, it is staged, but nothing is controlled because trying to control someone breaks a subjects inner rhythm and we completely miss what they might truly give us.”
创作过程：光与影
Julian的摄影方法如同他创作的图像一样刻意。他使用佳能 5D Mark IV 相机，搭配 50mm f/1.2 镜头和 16-35mm f/2.8 镜头，专注于恒定光线，营造自然私密的氛围。这种选择让他能够使用大光圈拍摄，创造出柔和宁静的图像，无论是观者还是场景本身。“光线需要真实，能够让人放松。我不想让人眼花缭乱，我想要展现。”
与模特的合作也同样用心。Julian 寻求与他共享创造力，并认同其艺术愿景的合作者。每一个细节——地点、时间、舞台构思和道具——都经过事先仔细讨论，以确保所有合作者都能清晰地理解并感到舒适。然而，在这种框架下，他为自发性留出了空间，他相信，当控制被最小化，模特们能够按照自己的节奏自然移动时，最真实的瞬间便会浮现。正是这种精心策划与自由互动，定义了他令人回味的风格。“是的，这是精心安排的，但没有任何控制，因为试图控制一个人会打破拍摄对象的内在节奏，我们会完全错过他们真正能带给我们的东西。”
Voyeurism and the Unseen
Julian’s images often explore the tension between presence and absence, seen and felt. “Tension is when you don’t understand what’s really going on. Mystery is when you’re aware there’s more to the story, but it’s just out of reach,” he explains. His photographs invite the viewer into this space, encouraging a dialogue between what is shown and what is left untouched. “In my images, I try to leave space for the viewer to enter the scene, not just observe it.”
This interplay of voyeurism and restraint defines Julian’s artistic philosophy. “Photography, for me, is about building that tension and never resolving it. It’s about giving just enough form to invite desire—but never enough to satisfy it.”
偷窥癖和看不见的事物
Julian的照片常常探索存在与缺失、可见与感受到之间的张力。“张力在于你无法理解究竟发生了什么。神秘在于你明知故事背后还有更多内容，却又遥不可及，”他解释道。他的照片邀请观者进入这个空间，鼓励展现的内容与未触及的内容之间的对话。“在我的照片中，我试图为观者留出空间，让他们进入场景，而不仅仅是观察它。”
这种偷窥癖与克制的相互作用定义了Julian的艺术哲学。“对我来说，摄影就是营造那种张力，而不是消解它。它赋予恰到好处的形式来激发欲望，但绝不足以满足它。”
A Life Laid Bare
At the heart of Julian’s recent exhibition is his new fanzine, A Life Laid Bare. Intimate and tactile, the fanzine captures fragments of nocturnal wanderings and moments suspended in shadow. Limited to 250 hand-sewn copies, it serves as both a collector’s item and a deeply personal artifact. “The fanzine is a memory you can fold and take home,” Julian explains. “It’s a physical extension of the exhibition, intimate and portable.” [Some images from the exhibition and fanzine are showcased in this article. If interested in purchasing the fanzine, send JF a direct message via his Instagram.]
Alongside the fanzine, Julian has collaborated with the fashion label Berak to create a capsule collection of limited-edition T-shirts. “They’re not just garments; they’re wearable fragments of the exhibition,” he says. This blend of mediums allows Julian’s work to transcend the gallery space, offering audiences new ways to connect with his art. [The capsule collection is available here.]
A Life Laid Bare《赤裸人生》
Julian 近期展览的核心是他的新同人志《赤裸人生》。这本同人志亲切而富有质感，捕捉了夜间漫步的片段和悬浮于阴影中的瞬间。它限量发行 250 本，手工缝制，既是收藏品，也是一件极具个人意义的纪念品。“这本同人志是一份可以折叠带回家的回忆，”Julian 解释道，“它是展览的实体延伸，亲切而便携。”[本文展示了一些展览和同人志的图片。如有意购买这本同人志，请通过他的 Instagram 直接联系 。]
除了出版同人志， Julian还与时尚品牌 Berak 合作，打造了限量版 T 恤系列。“它们不仅仅是服装，更是展览中可穿戴的碎片，”他说道。这种媒介的融合让朱利安的作品超越了画廊空间，为观众提供了与他的艺术产生联系的新途径。[ T 恤系列可在此处购买。]
The Role of Travel in Artistic Growth
For Julian, travel is essential to his creative process, offering a way to break routines and rediscover the world with fresh mindset. He sees travel as a way to “open the senses,” allowing him to photograph as an outsider, guided by curiosity and disorientation. This perspective keeps his vision sharp and his work alive with spontaneity. “I think when you stay too long in one place, both physically and mentally, you stop seeing.”
Japan holds a profound place in Julian’s artistic journey. He describes photographing in the country as “an artistic inevitability,” a deliberate and deeply considered act. From its mastery of gesture to its reverence for quiet moments, Japan’s culture resonates strongly with how Julian sees the world. In many ways, A Life Laid Bare serves as his love letter to Japan, capturing its stillness, contradictions, and the poetic beauty of its nights.
Beyond Japan, Julian’s travels to places like Paris and Southeast Asia continue to shape his storytelling. Each destination contributes new textures, moods, and narratives to his work. Travel, for Julian, isn’t just about exploration—it’s an act of creative renewal, a process of continually rediscovering his place within the world.
旅行在艺术成长中的作用
对 Julian来说，旅行对他的创作至关重要，它提供了一种打破常规、以全新思维重新探索世界的方式。他将旅行视为一种“开启感官”的方式，让他能够以局外人的视角进行摄影，并受到好奇心和迷失方向的引导。这种视角让他的视野更加敏锐，作品也充满了自发性。“我认为，当你在一个地方停留太久，无论是身体上还是精神上，你都会变得无法再观察。”
日本在Julian的艺术之旅中占据着重要的地位。他将在日本拍摄描述为“艺术的必然”，一种深思熟虑、经过深思熟虑的行为。从对姿态的精湛掌握到对静谧时刻的崇敬，日本文化与Julian的世界观产生了强烈的共鸣。从很多方面来看，《赤裸人生》就像是他写给日本的情书，捕捉了日本的宁静、矛盾以及夜晚的诗意之美。
除了日本，Julian的巴黎和东南亚之旅也持续塑造着他的叙事风格。每个目的地都为他的作品增添了新的质感、氛围和叙事。对Julian而言，旅行不仅仅是探索——它是一种创造性的更新，一个不断重新发现自己在世界中的位置的过程。
On Generative AI and the Future of Creativity
Julian sees generative AI as a powerful tool to push artistic methods further but stresses its limits in capturing the essence of human creativity. While it can inspire exploration and innovation, he contests it cannot replicate the emotional depth born from lived experience. “Generative AI is an incredible tool, if it remains a tool. When used to assist, to explore, to challenge our methods, it can be inspiring.”
For Julian, art is inseparable from the trials, failures, and triumphs that shape the human spirit. “AI can simulate beauty, but not longing. It can copy a scream, but can not feel it.” Authenticity in art, he believes, is forged through risk and vulnerability—qualities unique to humanity.
He also warns against the pursuit of perfection in AI-generated art, which he views as a threat to creativity’s raw, imperfect essence. “If we forget that art is born from risk, not perfection, then AI becomes dangerous.” While AI may serve as a tool for exploration, we must emphasize the irreplaceable role of human intuition and emotion in creating art with true depth and meaning.
“As artists, we are in a lifelong quest for truth. And sometimes that quest results in just a few images, a few lines of poetry, a dance movement, a film scene, a painting… evidence of something deeply lived. What we create is not perfect, but it’s crafted with time, with failure, with intuition, with scars. It’s human. The essence of art, its soul, is still something only a human can risk everything to express.”
关于人工智能AI和创造力的未来
Julian认为人工智能是推动艺术方法进一步发展的强大工具，但他强调其在捕捉人类创造力本质方面的局限性。虽然它可以激发探索和创新，但他质疑它无法复制源于生活体验的情感深度。“人工智能是一个不可思议的工具，如果它仍然只是一个工具的话。当它被用来辅助、探索和挑战我们的方法时，它可以激发灵感。”
对Julian来说，艺术与塑造人类精神的考验、失败和成功密不可分。“人工智能可以模拟美，但无法模拟渴望。它可以模仿尖叫，却无法感受它。” 他认为，艺术的真实性是通过风险和脆弱性锻造出来的——而这些正是人类独有的品质。
他还警告不要追求人工智能生成的艺术的完美，他认为这会威胁到创造力原始而不完美的本质。“如果我们忘记艺术源于风险，而非完美，那么人工智能就会变得危险。” 虽然人工智能可以作为探索的工具，但我们必须强调，人类的直觉和情感在创造真正具有深度和意义的艺术方面具有不可替代的作用。
“作为艺术家，我们终生追求真理。有时，这种追求最终只留下几幅图像、几行诗、一个舞蹈动作、一个电影场景、一幅画作……展现着某种深刻的生命力。我们创造的东西并非完美，但它凝聚着时间、失败、直觉和伤痕。它是人性的。艺术的本质，它的灵魂，仍然只有人类才能不惜一切代价去表达。“
With A Life Laid Bare, JF offers a moment to slow down and connect with the quiet fragments of life that reveal intimacy, vulnerability, and shared human truths. For him, storytelling through images is less about clarity and more about evoking feelings. “My work doesn’t follow a script. It doesn’t always offer a clear narrative. It’s more about emotional temperature. I’m not here to deliver answers. I’m here to disturb, seduce, awaken. If something lingers after the image fades, then that’s the story.”
JF 通过《赤裸人生》为观众提供了一个放慢脚步、与生活中那些静谧片段连接的时刻，这些片段揭示了亲密、脆弱以及人类共有的真理。对他而言，通过图像讲述故事，与其说是追求清晰度，不如说是唤起情感。“我的作品不遵循剧本。它并不总是提供清晰的叙事。它更注重情感的温度。我并非为了提供答案而存在。我是为了扰乱、引诱、唤醒。如果图像消逝后，仍有一些东西残留，那就是故事。”
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Contributor: Adam J. Schokora
投稿人: Adam J. Schokora
英译中: Jimi Zhang
