Julian Opie and the work series spanning Dubai, Madrid and Jouy-en-Josas
Published on 08/29/2026 at 13:49 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Julian Opie’s recent work unfolds across commercial galleries and an institutional setting between late 2025 and summer 2026. His walkers, portraits and landscape motifs appear in group shows in Dubai and Madrid and in a focused presentation at Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, forming a coherent work series across venues.
The recent exhibitions as a framework
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain devoted an exhibition simply titled Julian Opie to his recent work in Jouy-en-Josas, with the foundation’s program listing a run from October 25, 2025 to August 23, 2026 on Sunday openings. The show foregrounded his pared-down figures and urban scenes as part of an institutional reading of his practice.
Parallel to the French presentation, Opera Gallery Dubai structured its summer group exhibition Summer Vibes around international names including Julian Opie, Fernando Botero, Yayoi Kusama and KAWS, with the gallery information stating a run from July 1 to August 31, 2026. In this context Opie contributes vinyl-on-wood works, including the 2005 piece Hirofumi with hat, which connects back to his longstanding portrait typologies.
Summer formats in Dubai and Madrid
Opera Gallery Madrid extends the summer concept with Summer Vibes IV, on view from June 25 to August 29, 2026, listing Julian Opie among artists such as Jeff Koons, Keith Haring and KAWS. The gallery’s listings underline his position within a roster that links post-pop and contemporary figurative strategies.
Across Dubai and Madrid, the summer exhibitions present Opie’s work as part of an international network of recognizable visual brands. The group-show framing reinforces his role as a painter and sculptor of streamlined figures whose works sit comfortably alongside pop-inflected names, without turning the displays into retrospectives.
All news and background on Julian Opie
Further reports on Julian Opie’s exhibitions, public installations and market appearances are compiled in the AD HOC NEWS archive for readers who follow his work series and institutional projects.
The work core from walkers to portraits
Julian Opie’s practice centers on radically simplified depictions of people, landscapes and objects, rendered through flat color fields, bold outlines and digital production methods. His career-long focus on walkers and drivers has produced series that recur across paintings, sculptures and LED installations.
In recent years he has extended these motifs into large outdoor works, as seen in the Busan-derived pieces Yellow phone. and Turquoise hair. installed in New Orleans’ Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition. The Helis Foundation and Lisson Gallery describe both sculptures as high-gloss auto paint on aluminum, based on photographs of passersby on the Busan seafront.
Where the artist stands now
Against this backdrop, Julian Opie’s work in 2025-2026 spans an institutional exhibition at Fondation Cartier, commercial summer group shows in Dubai and Madrid, and public sculpture in New Orleans, with his studio activity and exhibition program continuing without a publicly announced new date in the immediate 30-day window.
Key facts on Julian Opie
- Artist: Julian Opie
- Medium / Genre: Painting and sculpture (conceptual figuration)
- Born: 1958, London, United Kingdom
- Place(s) of practice: Studio based in London, working internationally across Europe, Asia and North America
- Active since: Early 1980s, with early recognition in British contemporary art circles and subsequent solo shows at institutions such as the Hayward Gallery and MoMA.
- Key work groups: Walking in the City, Busan Walkers, Elena and Cressie Get Ready for the Party, Landscape
- Current/last exhibition: Julian Opie, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Jouy-en-Josas, October 25, 2025 - August 23, 2026; Summer Vibes, Opera Gallery Dubai, July 1 - August 31, 2026; Summer Vibes IV, Opera Gallery Madrid, June 25 - August 29, 2026.
- Major collections: Works by Julian Opie are held in public collections including Tate in London, MoMA in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and various European regional museums, as documented in institutional collection entries.
- Awards: Public sources emphasize exhibition history more than prize lists; Opie’s recognition is marked by major institutional shows rather than headline art awards.
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window in open-access sources beyond the completed Fondation Cartier run and the summer group exhibitions.
Frequently asked questions about Julian Opie
Where can Julian Opie’s work from 2025-2026 be seen?
Opie’s recent work was on view at Fondation Cartier’s Jouy-en-Josas site in the exhibition Julian Opie from October 25, 2025 to August 23, 2026, and in the group shows Summer Vibes in Dubai and Summer Vibes IV in Madrid over summer 2026.
How is Julian Opie represented in the Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition?
According to Lisson Gallery and The Helis Foundation, the New Orleans Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition includes Opie’s 2023 Busan Walkers series sculptures Yellow phone. and Turquoise hair., both high-gloss auto paint on aluminum depicting figures in motion.
Which work series define Julian Opie’s practice today?
Recent presentations highlight his walkers and portrait sequences, including the Busan Walkers sculptures in New Orleans, vinyl-on-wood portraits such as Hirofumi with hat in Dubai and serial figures from series like Elena and Cressie Get Ready for the Party in auction contexts.
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.
