Bijou Gets Undressed
6 works
Julian Opie Shahnoza 5 For Sale
Julian Opie
Shahnoza 5, 2006
Screen print
22 1/2 x 53 1/2 in 57 x 136 cm
Edition
Edition of 40 + 11 AP
About this work
Julian Opie's "Shahnoza" series is a striking collection that exemplifies the artist's refined and distinctive approach to contemporary portraiture and figure painting. Created in the mid-2000s, this series focuses on a single subject, Shahnoza, a professional pole dancer, whose movements and form become the basis for Opie's exploration of motion, the human body, and the presentation of femininity in art.In "Shahnoza," Opie employs his characteristic style, which simplifies and abstracts the human figure to its essential lines and shapes, while still capturing the dynamism and fluidity of the subject's movements. The series includes a variety of works, ranging from large-scale paintings to LED installations and lenticular images, showcasing Opie's versatility and his innovative use of technology in art-making.One of the defining features of the "Shahnoza" series is its focus on motion. Opie observed and recorded Shahnoza's dance, breaking down her movements into a sequence of poses that are then abstracted into stylized representations. This process reflects Opie's interest in capturing the essence of movement, a theme that has been central to his work. The resulting images are not static portraits but rather dynamic compositions that convey a sense of rhythm and grace.Opie's use of line and color in the "Shahnoza" series is particularly noteworthy. The figures are outlined in thick, black lines against flat, monochromatic backgrounds, with the use of bold colors to highlight certain aspects of the form or movement. This minimalist aesthetic, reminiscent of commercial signage and pop art, serves to emphasize the beauty and simplicity of the human form in motion.The "Shahnoza" series also engages with traditional and contemporary representations of femininity. By choosing a pole dancer as his subject, Opie navigates the complex terrain of objectification, empowerment, and performance. The works celebrate the skill, strength, and artistry of the dancer, while also prompting viewers to consider their perceptions of female bodies in performance and art. Opie's stylized treatment of the subject matter offers a nuanced perspective that challenges conventional narratives around femininity and the gaze.Furthermore, the series reflects Opie's ongoing exploration of how modern technology can be used to reinterpret classical themes in art. The digital manipulation of images and the use of cutting-edge display technologies, such as LED screens and lenticular prints, place "Shahnoza" at the intersection of traditional portraiture and contemporary digital art. This blend of old and new underscores the timeless nature of artistic inquiry, even as it engages with the visual language of the 21st century.Julian Opie's "Shahnoza" series is a testament to the artist's ability to distill complex themes and movements into strikingly simple yet profound works of art. Through this series, Opie not only explores the potential of digital technology in the realm of fine art but also contributes to ongoing conversations about the representation of the human body, the dynamics of motion, and the portrayal of femininity in contemporary culture.
Price on Application
Auction History
This is Shahnoza in 3 Parts (1) (C. 127) · Julian Opie · Phillips · 2026-06 · $52,380
Shahnoza with beads · Julian Opie · Bonhams · 2022-10 · $49,982
This is Shahnoza in 3 parts (6) (C. 132) · Julian Opie · Phillips · 2022-06 · $45,674
This is Shahnoza 46 · Julian Opie · Sotheby's · 2021-08 · $44,802
Shahnoza dancing in white dress, right · Julian Opie · Christie's · 2026-03 · $41,132
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About Julian Opie
Julian Opie (b. 1958, London) is one of the most recognisable and widely exhibited British artists of his generation, a painter, sculptor, and printmaker whose stripped-back figurative language has achieved both the commercial viability of design and the conceptual seriousness of fine art — a combination that few artists of any era have managed with equal confidence. Opie studied at Goldsmiths College under Michael Craig-Martin, graduating in 1982, and was representing by a major London gallery almost immediately. He has been a significant presence in the international art world for over four decades.
Opie's visual language is built from a small number of radical formal decisions: bold black outlines, flat unmodulated colour fields, the elimination of shadow, texture, and incidental detail, and a scale and graphic authority that draws openly on Egyptian hieroglyphics, Japanese woodblock printing, public signage, and the simplified conventions of digital interfaces. The result is a style of immediate recognisability — when you encounter a Julian Opie figure, you know it instantly — that nonetheless contains real formal thought about how images communicate, how representation functions, and what remains when almost everything is removed. His Walking Figures series, in which anonymous pedestrians in continuous motion are rendered in his signature distilled vocabulary and presented as both print editions and LED wall sculptures, has become one of the most compelling ongoing investigations in contemporary art into the relationship between the ancient idea of the frieze, the vernacular language of the public sign, and the aesthetic possibilities of the LED screen.
In 2000, Opie created the cover artwork for Blur's Best Of compilation — four simplified band portraits in his trademark style — bringing his visual language to an audience of millions and cementing his profile as an artist operating meaningfully across the boundary between fine art and popular culture. His portrait series, his landscape works, and his permanent public installations — including major commissions at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London — extend the reach of his practice into civic and architectural contexts. At the major auction houses, significant Opie works have traded in the £200,000–£500,000 range at Christie's and Sotheby's, while his print editions range from thousands to tens of thousands of pounds, providing entry points across a wide spectrum of collector budgets. His work is held in the Tate Collection, among other public institutions.
His media range is notably broad: silkscreen prints, vinyl paintings, LED panels, lenticular works, and public sculptures are all produced with equal technical rigour and formal clarity.
Guy Hepner maintains strong inventory and expertise in Julian Opie's print editions and LED works. Our gallery at 177 Tenth Avenue, New York offers collectors expert guidance on acquisition and valuation. We provide free, confidential valuations for those looking to sell Opie works and active connections to buyers engaged with this market.