Mullo
Nous avons rencontré Joe Mulligan, alias « Mullo », en Espagne, où l’artiste irlandais s’est établi après un long parcours dans le monde de l’animation. Né avec une fascination précoce pour les dessins animés, il raconte comment les films Disney et les bandes dessinées de son enfance ont éveillé en lui un imaginaire foisonnant qu’il n’a jamais cessé d’explorer. « J’ai compris très tôt que je voulais donner vie à des images », explique-t-il.
Adolescent, Mulligan multiplie les esquisses, perfectionne son trait et se convainc que l’animation sera plus qu’une passion : une vocation. À vingt ans à peine, il rejoint les studios Don Bluth, une étape décisive qui marque le début d’une carrière internationale de plus de deux décennies. Il collabore ensuite avec des acteurs majeurs du secteur — Warner Bros, Disney, Fox, BBC ou encore Cartoon Network — apportant à chaque projet une énergie créative singulière.
Aujourd’hui, Mulligan parle de son parcours avec une sincérité calme et un enthousiasme intact. Pour lui, l’animation demeure un espace de liberté absolue, une nécessité presque existentielle. Dans son regard, on perçoit encore l’émerveillement de l’enfant qui, devant un film, a découvert que le dessin pouvait devenir un monde à part entière.
Hello Mullo, what motivated you to create artworks and become an artist?
I have been an artist all my working life. From an early age, I had a long career in the animation industry, working on feature films and TV, for Disney, Warner Bros, BBC, Cartoon Network, to name a few.
Can you tell us about your artistic background, the techniques, and the subjects you have explored so far?
With my background in Character Animation, I have always been drawn to the understanding of people. So I started painting career primarily as a portrait artist. Over the years I have opened myself to working with many different subjects, such as seascapes and abstract work. I have everything I paint feeds into each subject.
Tomorrow's Promises (2024), Mullo, Oil on Canvas, 90x65 cm
What are the three aspects that set you apart from other artists, making your work unique?
If anything sets me and my work apart, I believe it is that I am on a journey of self-discovery. I am self-taught, and believe that the artist in us all comes from within. The more I understand myself and my own emotions, the more that is reflected in my work. So my work is an expression of who I am as a person.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Life experience and life around me. Each subject and each painting is a reflection of life happening to me and around me. I guess I'm a witness and a vessel.
What is your artistic approach? What visions, sensations, or emotions do you want to evoke in the viewer?
Everything comes back to my own emotions, and now my feelings react to each experience I encounter. If I can't feel it, I can't paint it. So I guess it is my feelings in that moment that others may end up interpreting as their own when they see the painting.
What is your creative process? Is it spontaneous or does it involve a long preparatory process?
I tend to feel an overwhelming pull toward a person or subject. Sometimes it builds slowly, other times it strikes in an instant—but once I feel it, it’s impossible to ignore. It feels like this is exactly what I’m meant to paint. From there, my process unfolds naturally, guided by that initial emotional spark.
Do you use any particular working technique? If so, could you explain it?
From a technical point of view, I understand exactly what’s required to begin, so I usually spend a morning setting up my space and preparing a blank canvas of the size I’ve chosen. Then I sit with a coffee before I let the paint flow. If I were to overthink it, nothing would happen; the process has to be organic for the work to come alive.
Boundless Skies (2025), Mullo, Oil on Canvas, 60x60 cm
Are there any innovative aspects in your work? If yes, could you tell us what they are?
As I evolve, so does my work. It’s always rooted in my own growth, my shifts, my experiences.
Is there a format or medium you feel most comfortable with? If so, why?
I love painting in oils, even after working with oil for over ten years, I keep finding new and greater understandings of the possibilities of using the medium
Where do you create your artworks? At home, in a shared studio, or in your own studio? And how do you organize your creative work in that space?
I create my work at home in a space I’ve shaped around my creative needs. I keep the area simple and organised so I can move straight into painting without overthinking. Each morning, I set up my canvas, arrange my materials, grab a coffee, and let the work flow from there. I love being close to my work, so even when I've put down my brushes for the day, I can still study and review my work at any time.
Does your work take you to travel, to meet new collectors, or attend fairs and exhibitions? If so, what does that bring you?
I travel occasionally for exhibitions and to meet collectors. Each trip gives me the chance to see my work through other people’s eyes and to connect with new audiences. I also sometimes travel to photograph people and places for commissioned work.
How do you envision the evolution of your work and your artistic career in the future?
In the future, I see my work developing naturally alongside my own growth. I want to refine my technique, explore new scales and subjects, and participate in more exhibitions. My goal is to build a career that expands steadily while remaining rooted in authenticity and emotional connection.
Walking Through Walls (2023), Mullo, Oil on Canvas, 100x100 cm
What is the theme, style, or technique of your latest artistic production?
I’m currently developing a new series of seascape paintings. I’m aiming to maintain harmony and a unified subject matter across the series, yet allow each painting to evolve in its own way.
Could you tell us about your most significant exhibition experience?
I believe my most important exhibition is always the next one. This isn’t to avoid the question—it’s simply how I work. Once an exhibition is complete, I take the lessons it offered and move forward. Each new opportunity becomes a chance to grow, evolve, and challenge myself.
If you could have created a famous artwork in art history, which one would you choose, and why?
There are countless masterpieces I admire, but I wouldn’t choose to have created any of them. They belong to the artists who lived them. My work must come from my own emotional landscape. If I’m fortunate, the most meaningful piece I create will be one I haven’t painted yet.
If you could invite a famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be, and how would you propose spending the evening with them?
I’d choose Leonardo DA Vinci. He wasn’t just a painter—he was an inventor, scientist, engineer, and relentless question-asker himself. So a single evening with him would be packed with ideas and curiosity. I’d ask him what questions he’s currently most obsessed with, because he always had a dozen. I’d want to hear how he approached creativity across disciplines and what he thinks of today’s technology.
Nicolas Sarazin
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