Julian Opie and the recent work series on view in 2026
Published on 08/22/2026 at 11:33 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Julian Opie’s stylized walkers, drivers and skyline bands run through a dense exhibition year in 2026. His curriculum vitae lists solo presentations from Knokke to Ulsan and Bengaluru, underscoring how recurring work series migrate between museums and galleries.
Work groups across 2026 shows
Opie’s official CV notes one-person exhibitions in 2026 at De Brock Gallery in Knokke, Cristea Roberts Gallery in London, Ulsan Art Museum in South Korea and Museum of Art and Photography in Bengaluru, India. These venues present variations on his reduced portraits, urban crowd scenes and landscape sequences.
The Fondation Cartier’s site documents an exhibition devoted to his recent work in Jouy-en-Josas, running from October 25, 2025 to August 23, 2026, with Sunday openings that extend the viewing rhythm into late summer. The show reflects how his outlined figures and horizon bands translate into an institutional context.
Series in group exhibitions and biennials
The exhibition calendar compiled by MutualArt lists Opie as part of Summer Vibes at Opera Gallery Dubai and Summer Vibes IV in Madrid in 2026, both group shows that juxtapose his crisp vinyl portraits with works by Fernando Botero, Yayoi Kusama and KAWS. These placements situate his work among pop-inflected and modern figuration.
Imura Art Gallery in Kyoto presents British Contemporary: Michael Craig-Martin / Damien Hirst / Julian Opie in two volumes, highlighting how his simplified figures connect to the lineage of British conceptual practice. The gallery text emphasizes his reduction of people and landscapes into radical pictograms that still carry narrative charge.
Further news and background on Julian Opie
Readers who follow Julian Opie’s work can browse more news items and background pieces in the AD HOC NEWS archive, from exhibition notes to market and collection updates.
The core of Julian Opie’s practice
Opie is known for flattening portraits, crowds and road systems into planar images bordered by thick black lines, often animated as LED sequences or presented as vinyl on board. His practice moves between painting, sculpture, installation and digital animation while keeping a consistent graphic vocabulary.
Where the artist stands now
Against this backdrop, Julian Opie’s 2026 program consolidates his long-running work groups across Europe and Asia, while open-access sources list no new public date within the immediate 30-day window beyond the continuing summer exhibitions.
Key facts on Julian Opie
- Artist: Julian Opie
- Medium / Genre: Mixed-media installations and images (painting, sculpture, digital animation)
- Born: 1958, London, United Kingdom
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice centered in London, with frequent institutional projects in Europe and Asia
- Active since: 1980s, with early recognition as part of the generation around the Young British Artists
- Key work groups: Walking in the city, Landscape bands, simplified portrait heads in series such as Ruth Smoking and Hirofumi with hat, LED installations like Marathon. Women.
- Current/last exhibition: Julian Opie, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Jouy-en-Josas, October 25, 2025 - August 23, 2026
- Major collections: Public collections documented in his CV include museums across Europe, Asia and North America, with recent appearances linked to institutions such as Ulsan Art Museum and Museum of Art and Photography Bengaluru.
- Awards: Publicly accessible sources highlight institutional recognition through repeated solo exhibitions rather than major prize listings.
- Next date: No additional new public date is reported in freely accessible sources within the immediate 30-day window beyond ongoing 2026 exhibitions and programs.
Frequently asked questions about Julian Opie
Where is Julian Opie’s work on view in 2026?
In 2026, Opie’s works feature in solo shows noted in his CV at De Brock Gallery Knokke, Cristea Roberts Gallery London, Ulsan Art Museum and Museum of Art and Photography Bengaluru, alongside group exhibitions such as Summer Vibes in Dubai and Madrid.
Which work by Julian Opie is highlighted at Opera Gallery Dubai?
Opera Gallery Dubai’s Summer Vibes lists his 2005 vinyl-on-wood portrait Hirofumi with hat, measuring 192 x 151 x 4 cm, among a roster of modern and contemporary artists including Yayoi Kusama and KAWS.
How does the Kyoto exhibition present Julian Opie’s series?
Imura Art Gallery’s two-part exhibition British Contemporary: Michael Craig-Martin / Damien Hirst / Julian Opie in Kyoto frames his radically simplified representations of people and landscapes alongside works by Craig-Martin and Hirst, emphasizing British contemporary art’s conceptual lineage.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
