Internationally renowned contemporary artist Julian Opie’s body of work reflects a wide range of influences, from classical portraiture and sculpture to billboard signage. His practice explores relationships between humans and environment, using the human figure in the act of walking, running, etc., to represent big-city lifestyles.

His Walkers series—comprising Red phone., Blue cigarette., Turquoise hair. and Black cap. (2023)—is inspired by his observation of passers-by on city streets around the world. His distinctive, minimalist representations of the human figure mirror the visual language of graphic design. A single personal attribute—an attitude, a hairstyle, an item of clothing—is used to symbolise the individual. The series walks the line between visual representation and abstraction, translating real-world encounters into powerful and highly accessible art.