―――Please tell us more about your background. How did you spend your childhood and how did you connect with fashion, art and culture?

Julien David：Hi, I would say that skateboard and music were the vector I used to connect with culture as a young person. I started skateboarding when I was 9 or 10 years old, although I was living in France, I would try to get my hands on US “Trasher magazine” and “Skateboarding magazing” every month which were the 2 big skate magazine at the time, I was watching VHS of Powell Peralta and Santa Cruz videos, and in those days,skateboard was also linked to street art, a lot of skaters were writing on walls; half pipes and skateparks were covered in tags and graffitis.In the summer, surf culture was kind of the flipside of skateboard and we had brand like Quiksilver, Stussy, Oxbow and Town & Country that were huge also. so it was all connected, skate, art, fashion… the beach, the concrete.Music was another vector, it’s been a big part of life, I’m from a generation who went from metal to grunge and from hip hop to electronic, it’s a big gap but somehow, we were down with it, and I loved the style of clothes that came with those genre of music, and also the graphic design and artworks that were used in the cover of albums and in the music videos. So Art always infiltrated culture that way.

―――What were your thoughts when you were a fashion designer? Are you no longer making clothes?

Julien David：My whole life I’ve been gravitating towards creativity, very early in the late 90’s I self learned to use Photoshop and 3D studio 4 to make graphics, and after working as a graphic designer for a while I started working for Fashion brands which lead me to start my own brand, this chapter lasted for 15 years, although I don’t do collections anymore on a seasonal basis, every once in a while I make Items for my projects or for my friends and artists I work with. I think fashion is one if the channel I can always use to express myself.

―――What does art mean and what does culture mean?

Julien David：Everyone as their own definition of what Art means to themself. If you are intested in it you find what you are looking for, naturally, without defining it.Culture is the fruit of human existence.

―――Is there a reason you got into art?

Julien David：I feel better knowing that people can care support and protect Art. I like that it is not rational, I also see Art as a soundboard for the time we live in and this is very interesting to me.

―――I believe that art adds color to life. How do you like it?

Julien David：You get from Art something that you cannot get anywhere else.

―――What kind of project is FRIDGE? How did you start?

Julien David：I started THE FRIDGE in 2019 with the purpose of working with Japanese Artists I like. THE FRIDGE has been functioning as a itinerant gallery for the past 4 years, first in Japan and now in the US, doing projects that can be quite intimate or on a bigger scale and more fun or more commercial too. Always working with artists.

―――Please tell us about the artists you curated this time.

Julien David：I came to Japan in April and talking with Bebe, for our second project at Dayz this time we wanted to shine light of some of the amazingly talented street artists who are based in Japan now. So I selected 5 artists that I like and respect and asked them to each work in 2 customized unique prints with the word ICE on it. The logo/font for ICE is based on the classic logo of ICE Merchandizer that you can find in convenient stores and gas stations where you pick up ice cubes. My gallery name is THE FRIDGE so I thought it was fun to use the word ICE.

―――What kind of city is Shibuya for you?

Julien David：Shibuya is where youth culture happen on many levels, it’s a hub of creativity, day and night.

Photo : Masataka Obayashi